Calgary-raised whooping cranes travel south to grow endangered species
Calgary's Wilder Institute has nurtured and raised two endangered whooping cranes which have travelled south to Wisconsin The two chicks named Reed and Harp, named after musical instruments paying homage to the whooping crane's trumpeting call, were hatched as part of the breeding program. The process of safely transporting the endangered birds across international borders and more than 2,000 kilometres was no small feat, with months of planning and preparations. The whooping cranes have now been released at Wisconsin’s International Crane Foundation, where they can take their first flights in the heart of that state’�s diverse wetlands. Each new addition to the population is a small victory contributing to the larger recovery efforts of its species, carrying the potential to increase the genetic diversity of their wild counterparts and strengthen the entire population.
Published : 2 years ago by Eva Ferguson in Science
This year, the two chicks — named Reed and Harp after musical instruments paying homage to the whooping crane’s trumpeting call — hatched as part of the breeding program. “From daily feeding and monitoring to specialized veterinary care, our team works tirelessly to help these birds have a better chance at survival when they are released to the wild,” said Caitlin Slade, animal care manager at the Wilder Institutes’ Archibald Biodiversity Centre. “Reed and Harp are a symbol of hope not just for whooping cranes, but for our planet’s incredible biodiversity.”
Officials said the process of safely transporting the endangered birds across international borders and more than 2,000 kilometres was no small feat, with months of planning and preparations. “While transporting these cranes was a challenging and complex process, it’s worth it to know that every hour put in by our team supports the whooping crane’s recovery,” said Deanna Snell, the Wilder Institute’s manager of zoological records and animal relocations, who spent more than 80 hours preparing for this shipment.
• Saving the whooping crane: One man's career caring for the birds The whooping cranes have now been released at Wisconsin’s International Crane Foundation, where they can take their first flights in the heart of that state’s diverse wetlands.
Officials added that with just over 650 whooping cranes left in the wild, each new addition to the population is a small victory contributing to the larger recovery efforts of its species, carrying the potential to increase the genetic diversity of their wild counterparts and strengthen the entire population. “The International Crane Foundation is excited to once again work across borders to release these birds at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin,” said Kim Boardman, curator of birds at the International Crane Foundation. “ICF is dedicated to saving this species, and this release will bring the total number of whooping cranes released by ICF this year to nine.” The Wilder Institute and the International Crane Foundation have been working together to support whooping cranes for more than 30 years.
Topics: Wildlife, Canada, Calgary