On June 24th, 2025, a red-crowned crane chick was born in Okayama Korakuen Garden! *A red-crowned crane chick born on June 24, 2025, passed away at around 8:20 pm on July 17, 2025 (the cause of death is currently under investigation).
2025.07.01*We are sad to have to say goodbye so soon, but we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has kindly watched over the chicks' growth.*
Okayama Korakuen Garden is working to raise the next generation of flying individuals to ensure the stable continuation of the "Red-crowned Cranes Strolling Through the Garden," a seasonal autumn and winter sight at the park. Through a method of "brood parasitism," in which fertilized eggs transferred from the Nature Conservation Center are incubated by the park's red-crowned cranes, a red-crowned crane chick was born on June 24, 2025!
This marks the first time that chicks have been born at our zoo in 23 years, since 2002.
Okayama Korakuen Garden has been raising various kinds of cranes, including red-crowned cranes, since the Edo period, and has been cherished as auspicious birds. After the war, this was temporarily discontinued, but in Showa, two red-crowned cranes were presented to Korakuen by Guo Kakumatsu, the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who had studied at Okayama's former Sixth High School. These two cranes became the foundation for the raising of many red-crowned cranes in Okayama Prefecture, and the prefecture is now the number one in Japan for raising cranes (57 cranes as of June 2025, 9 of which are raised in Korakuen). Okayama Korakuen Garden also holds 12 red-crowned crane walks around the garden from September to February of the following year, which are well-received by visitors as a special annual event. Korakuen is the only place in Japan where you can see red-crowned cranes strolling and flying in a cultural property garden.
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