Lost expanses – Crowned Crane

It dances across the grass like a prayer. The crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) – symbol of African elegance, ambassador of the savanna.

Its golden plumage shines like sunlight on water, but its habitat is shrinking. It once inhabited almost all the wetlands of eastern and southern Africa. Today, many of these areas are dry, plowed up, or built over.

According to BirdLife International, its range has shrunk to around 6 million square kilometers – and it continues to shrink.

He remains a king in retreat – a samurai among pharaohs. And his dance reminds us that dignity vanishes when water dries up.

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