CSR: UPL’s Decade-Long Biodiversity Program Boosts Sarus Crane Count to 1,576 in Gujarat

Combined efforts of UPL, the Social Forestry Division, Nadiad, Gujarat Forest Department and the community have resulted in a significant rise in the Sarus Crane population from 500 in 2015-16 to 1576 in 2026-27

AHMEDABAD (India CSR): UPL Ltd., a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, conducted the Eleventh Annual Sarus Crane Count on June 21, coinciding with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The count recorded a total of 1576 Sarus Cranes in 2026-27, marking a significant increase of 215% since 2015-16. The summer solstice aligns with the period when most wetlands and marshes dry up, leading to large congregations of Sarus Cranes at the remaining perennial water bodies. This provides a unique opportunity to accurately assess the population.

The Indian Sarus Crane, the world’s tallest flying bird and classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, traditionally inhabits wetlands and shares its habitat with humans. It relies on agricultural fields for feeding and breeding. The decline in wetlands and degradation of existing habitats are considered among the primary reasons for the species’ decline.

To conserve the Sarus Crane, UPL launched the Sarus Conservation Program in 2015. Since then, the program has worked closely with farmers and local communities to address misconceptions and encourage positive behavioural change through awareness, education, and voluntary participation.

Swadesh Saxena, Head – CSR, UPL Ltd., said, “The Sarus Conservation Program reflects UPL’s deep-rooted commitment to conserving biodiversity. Over the last decade, our collaborative model, built on community engagement and scientific monitoring, has helped create safer habitats for the Sarus while also fostering local stewardship. Gujarat now hosts the second-largest wild Sarus population in India, which is both a point of pride and motivation to continue our efforts. This initiative in Kheda and Anand districts has helped Gujarat hold the second-highest wild population of Sarus in India, and we have seen a 215% rise over eleven years.”

To conserve the Sarus Crane, UPL launched the Sarus Conservation Program in 2015.

Speaking on the count, Dr. Jatinder Kaur, Program Manager – UPL Sarus Conservation Program, said, “The Sarus crane population in Kheda and Anand districts has shown remarkable increase and is currently thriving due to concerted conservation efforts and by continued monitoring, habitat protection, mitigation of threats, and community engagement will be crucial for the long-term sustainability and potential further growth of this vulnerable species.

During the annual Sarus Count 2026, a total of 1576 Sarus Cranes, including 156 sub-adults, were documented across Kheda and Anand districts. Major congregations at wetland sites included Gobrapura wetland with 231 Sarus cranes, Narda wetland with 207, and Traj wetland with 185 cranes. The effort covered 208 villages across sixteen talukas of both districts. Further, during the count, five summer nesting breeding pairs were documented with the successful hatching of five juveniles, indicating a potential shift in the breeding behaviour of the Sarus Crane.

The large-scale count was a collaborative efforts involving 188 active participations of 25 staff of Social Forestry Division Nadiad, 26 Rural Sarus Protection Group volunteers, 28 UPL WAU volunteers, 23 volunteers from Voluntary Nature Conservancy and 64 students from six colleges (Department of Zoology, Gujarat University Ahmedabad, VP Science College, Vidhya Nagar, J & J College of science, Nadiad, Ahmedabad University, Department of Bioscience, SPU, Vidhya Nagar, Department of Zoology, M S University, Vadodara), 7 teachers of Government School, Taluka Matar, 2 volunteers from Nature Health Foundation, Anand and 10 school students from Raksha Shakti School, Bamangam.

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