▁shown ▁some ▁promise . ▁ ▁In ▁culture ▁▁ ▁The ▁species ▁is ▁v ener ated ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁legend ▁has ▁it ▁that ▁the ▁poet ▁Val m iki ▁curs ed ▁a ▁h unter ▁for ▁killing ▁a ▁sar us ▁c rane ▁and ▁was ▁then ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁ep ic ▁Ram ay ana . ▁The ▁species ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁cont ender ▁to ▁the ▁Indian ▁pe af ow l ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁bird ▁of ▁India . ▁Among ▁the ▁G ond i ▁people , ▁the ▁tribes ▁class ified ▁as ▁" five - god ▁wor sh ipp ers " ▁consider ▁the ▁sar us ▁c rane ▁as ▁sacred . ▁The ▁meat ▁of ▁the ▁sar us ▁was ▁considered ▁tab oo ▁in ▁ancient ▁H indu ▁script ures . ▁It ▁is ▁widely ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁sar us ▁pairs ▁for ▁life ▁and ▁that ▁death ▁of ▁one ▁partner ▁leads ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁p ining ▁to ▁death . ▁They ▁are ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁mar ital ▁virtue ▁and ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁Gu jar at , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁custom ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁newly ▁wed ▁couple ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁sar us ▁c ran es . ▁ ▁Although ▁v ener ated ▁and ▁protected ▁by ▁Indians , ▁these ▁birds ▁were ▁h unted ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period . ▁It ▁was ▁noted ▁that ▁killing ▁a ▁bird ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁its ▁surv iving ▁partner ▁tr ump eting ▁for ▁many ▁days ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁other ▁would ▁star ve ▁to ▁death . ▁Even ▁sport ▁hunting ▁gu ides ▁disc ou rag ed ▁shooting ▁these ▁birds . ▁According ▁to ▁