Yushu, Qinghai is one of the habitats for black-necked cranes (黑颈鹤). Cranes have very long necks and their necks are black. That's why they are called black-necked cranes. Cranes travel very far every year. Cranes spend about 5 months in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Starting in March, black-necked cranes will fly back to Qinghai. There are lakes and marshes (沼泽), perfect for them to live in. Year after year, black-necked cranes may fly to other places, but they always come back to the plateau areas.
Their life is harsh, because they have no enough food and the weather changes very often. Black-necked cranes have a very small population. They are under first-class state protection in China. Local people treat the birds with love. In local tradition, they are a symbol of good luck, so they are very popular.
It is not hard to get along with the wild animals. Just give them a little more space. They can have a bigger chance to thrive (兴旺). People in Qinghai are working very hard to make sure the black-necked cranes live better.
