The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of Vietnam to Thailand, H.E. Pham Viet Hung; leaders of the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand (ZPOT); and the official delegation from Dong Thap province, led by Mr. Le Ha Luan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

The Ambassador Pham Viet Hung (fifth from the right), Dong Thap provincial delegation and ZPOT, Korat Zoo, performing the handover ceremony of the sarus crane.

The transfer of these 06 Eastern Sarus Cranes to Dong Thap province marks another significant milestone in the implementation of the Project for the Conservation and Development of Eastern Sarus Cranes at Tram Chim National Park. This particular shipment comprises 02 male and 04 female cranes, with individual weights ranging from 5.3 kg to 6.7 kg.

According to the scheduled plan, the cranes will be placed into specialized transit crates and will depart in the early morning of tomorrow (June 23) from Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Korat province, the Kingdom of Thailand, to Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Bangkok, Thailand). Subsequently, they will be transported via air freight to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) before being transferred to Tram Chim National Park on the same day via specialized ground transport vehicles.

The cranes will be placed in specialized containers in the early morning of June 23rd.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung congratulated Dong Thap province on successfully rearing and caring for the first batch of cranes received previously. He further emphasized that this second transfer carries profound significance, serving not only as a practical step toward environmental conservation but also as a testament to the goodwill and deep-seated friendship extended by the Government and people of Thailand toward the nation and people of Vietnam.

On behalf of the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung expressed his profound gratitude to the Government and citizens of Thailand, the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, and Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo for facilitating this special initiative for Vietnam.

On the occasion of this second crane transfer in 2026, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung also disclosed that during his recent official visit to Vietnam, the Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Anutin Charnvirakul, consented to the proposal made by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, H.E. Le Minh Hung, regarding the gifting of Eastern Sarus Cranes to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The Thai Prime Minister highly commended the ongoing conservation efforts dedicated to the Eastern Sarus Cranes at Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap province.

The parties exchanged views on the conservation and development of the Sarus Crane.

The Ambassador Pham Viet Hung, the Dong Thap provincial delegation, and the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand subsequently convened a discussion regarding the aforementioned directive in order to expedite the completion of necessary administrative procedures for its early implementation.

Ambassador Pham Viet Hung (far left) provides information about the policy of donating cranes.

In an online exchange from Dong Thap province, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien – Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province, Head of the Steering Committee for the Conservation and Development Project of Sarus Cranes at Tram Chim National Park, 2022-2032 – respectfully thanked and extended an invitation to Ambassador Pham Viet Hung, the Animal Park Organization of Thailand, and Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo to visit Dong Thap to see the cranes that have been transferred and are being cared for at Tram Chim National Park. Based on this, assessments can be made regarding the conditions for receiving and conserving the cranes in the future.

Earlier that morning, the Dong Thap provincial delegation and representatives from Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Korat Province, held a working session to deliberate and finalize the logistics plan for transporting the 06 cranes to Vietnam.

Nguyệt Ánh