Shooting A Protected Crane, This Man Is Confronted By The Prosecutor

Illustration of a red crowned crane. (Wikimedia Commons/Ryan E. Poplin)

JAKARTA - A farmer has been brought before prosecutors for allegedly shooting and killing a red-crowned crane protected with an air rifle in the Hokkaido Islands, an investigative source said Monday.

The man, who is known to be in his 60s, was brought before the prosecution by police on Friday 1 October, on suspicion of violating the law on the conservation of endangered species.

An investigative source said the man shot the protected bird on his farm in Ikeda City, Japan on June 5.

The man told Kyodo News he saw a crane about to enter his field. A moment later, he fired five shots to scare them away, but found one bird lying on the ground and alerted the police.

"The stork was hit by two bullets," the source said, quoting Kyodo News Oct. 4.

Illustration of a red crowned crane. (Wikimedia Commons/Ryan E. Poplin)

Meanwhile, the farmer explained, the cranes began frequenting his fields about five years ago, claiming that the birds cause more than 1 million yen ($9,000) in annual damage by stepping on onions and other vegetables when they are eaten. they enter the fields in search of food.

The species, which are designated as special national natural treasures, were once on the verge of extinction. However, the population has recovered due to conservation efforts by state and local governments.

"If state and local governments implement protection policies, they need to take strong action against crop damage at the same time," the man said, adding that cranes usually appear in the fields, except during winter.

Considered one of the largest storks with a body length of about 140 centimeters and a wingspan of 250 centimeters, the red-crowned stork, also called the Japanese stork, is the only stork species to breed in Japan, according to the Ministry of the Environment.