For the second year running, Bennetts Cranes is sponsoring Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge to help improve the chances of native Common Cranes in the UK. The ‘Cranes for Cranes’ campaign aims to raise awareness of the species and help build better breeding habitats.
Until recently, the Common Crane was extinct from the UK for almost 400 years. Fortunately, due to the Great Crane Project between 2010-2015, the UK crane population is at an all-time high. WWT Slimbridge was part of this project which reintroduced chicks into the wild.
Dave Paynter, Reserve Manager at WWF Slimbridge commented: “We’re so excited that Bennetts Cranes will be sponsoring WWT Slimbridge Wetlands Centre and our beautiful Common Crane population again this year. This support is vital for securing a bright future for these amazing birds in the Severn Estuary and gives us the resources we need to manage the land with cranes in mind.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming them back onto the site this year and showing the amazing work their support makes possible. Hopefully, this will include seeing some of this year’s crop of youngsters that benefitted directly from the island creation and habitat improvement work that has been completed.”
WWT Slimbridge currently has six pairs of cranes on the reserve. The reserve provides the cranes with a safe habitat to breed with flat, open spaces with water-filled ditches that deter predators like foxes. Meet the cranes at WWT Slimbridge here.
Bennetts has also pledged to take part in some corporate volunteering. Last year, the team had the pleasure of helping the WWT Slimbridge working party clear some of the land for its habitat restoration project.
The team at Bennetts will also get the opportunity to view the cranes up close at WWT Slimbridge. Through a 4×4 safari, they’ll be able to see the resident red-crowned cranes without disturbing them in their habitat.
