$20,000 Reward Offered for Information on Shooting death of Endangered Whooping Crane in Evangeline Parish

Posted on March 16, 2024 by KY4cranes

Photo by Brett Hartl / Center for Biological Diversity

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are looking for leads regarding the shooting death of an endangered juvenile Whooping Crane found dead January 9, 2024 in an agricultural pond on the south side of Besi Lane in Mamou, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. A necropsy determined that the crane had been shot, which resulted in a fractured spine and internal hemorrhaging.

A total of $20,000 is now being offered by various organizations for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the illegal killing of this Whooping Crane.  The reward includes the USFWS offering up to $5,000, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation up to $2,500, the International Crane Foundation up to $2,500, and the Dallas Zoo up to $2,500, and $10,000 from the Center for Biological Diversity. While the Louisiana flock is designated as a non-essential, experimental population it is protected under state law, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

USFWS, LDWF and other state agencies began Louisiana’s reintroduction of Whooping Cranes in 2011  when a cohort of 10 juveniles were released at White Lake. The first chick hatched by the reintroduced cranes took place in 2016. In an effort to reintroduce the birds to the crane’s historic range, 167 Whooping Cranes have been released in Louisiana with 11 of those cranes known to have been killed by poachers. The Louisiana population is currently estimated to be 85 Whooping Cranes. This reintroduced population marked the first presence of Whooping Cranes in the wild in Louisiana since 1950. The juvenile crane killed had been raised in a captive breeding program at the Dallas Zoo and was released in Louisiana in November 2023.

“It’s frustrating,” Richard Dunn, a curator at Freeport McMoran Audubon Species Survival Center, told The Advocate. “It’s bad enough to hear a bird got predated or hit a power line. Something as simple as it got shot is what kills us the most.” The Survival Center, based in New Orleans, has worked to improve the Whooping Crane population by breeding and raising cranes to be reintroduced into the wild. State officials and groups like the Audubon Nature Institute have gone to great lengths to reintroduce the species. Each bird reintroduced into the wild takes months of care, and nearly $33,000 is spent caring per bird, Dunn said.

North America’s tallest bird, a male Whooping Cranes stands nearly 5 feet tall, with a wingspan of 7 feet. Their 5-foot-long coiled trachea allows the birds to give a loud single-note call, which is likely the origin of their name. The species can live 28 years in the wild, and mated pairs remain bonded for life. Whooping Cranes only occur in North America and of the 15 crane species found worldwide, are considered the most endangered.

Historically there were thought to be thousands (exact number unknown) of Whooping Cranes populating North America, but widespread loss of habitat for agriculture, and unregulated hunting caused their numbers to plummet to 15 birds by the 1940s. Listed as critically endangered, Whooping Cranes are slowly making a comeback. Today there are approximately 800 Whooping Cranes in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. This number includes the only remaining wild population in the world – one that migrates between breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada and wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and along coastal Texas; the reintroduced non-migratory population in Louisiana; the Eastern Migratory Population; several cranes remaining in Florida from an earlier attempt at reintroduction there, as well as individuals in captive breeding programs in Canada and North America.

Anyone with information about the shooting of the Whooping Crane should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (985) 882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Lake Charles Office at (337) 491-2588. Callers can remain anonymous if they choose.

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Protect National Wildlife Refuges from toxic pesticides

Posted on January 29, 2024 by KY4cranes

Pair of Sandhill Cranes. Photo courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy

Bird conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
America’s first Refuge, Pelican Island was established to help imperiled seabirds recover. Many of the Refuges in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest provide important habitat and stopovers for waterfowl. 50 million people visit Refuges every year for hiking, birding, hunting and fishing, camping, and reconnecting with nature.

And yet, many National Wildlife Refuges use unnecessarily toxic practices for growing crops on their lands.
The hundreds of thousands of birds and other species that live on Refuges sometimes need a bit of a food boost to get through migrations and winters. To help with this, many Refuges grow crops like wheat, corn, and soy to help meet the needs of visiting and resident wildlife. 

Unfortunately, many of these crops are grown with conventional synthetic pesticides.
National Wildlife Refuges are vital conservation areas. The need to supplement some wildlife with additional food is scientifically sound, but birds visiting these Refuges for safety should not be exposed to unnecessary pesticides used for growing crops.

Please take action now! Tell Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to direct the US Fish and Wildlife Service to phase-out conventional pesticides from crop production on Refuges. https://abcbirds.org/program/pesticides/

Whooping Cranes #27-14, #1-11 and #14-15 with Sandhills at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur Alabama. January 10, 2016. Photo by Mary Yandell

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Last issue of the Eastern Crane Bulletin

Posted on December 19, 2023 by KY4cranes

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Posted on July 11, 2023 by KY4cranes

Celebrating 50 years of Crane Conservation Worldwide!

“Crossing continents. Spanning generations. Cranes know no boundaries, and neither do we. For 50 years, we’ve made it our mission to save cranes and their habitats while improving the lives of the people who consider these birds neighbors worldwide.  Cranes aren’t just any bird – they’re an eco-diplomat that connects us all to each other and the places we call home.A neighbor like that is worth fighting for.  We’ve made great progress in the past 50 years, but we’re just getting started. The work we do today impacts the world we leave to the next generation. Fly with us for the next 50 as we work to keep cranes as the cornerstone of our lives.”


– The International Crane Foundation
Learn more at savingcranes.org 

In 1973, two graduate students at Cornell University, Dr. George Archibald, and Dr. Ronald Sauey established the International Crane Foundation. 

Since that time, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) has worked worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. ICF provides knowledge, leadership, and inspiration to engage people in resolving threats to cranes and their diverse landscapes. From its nearly 300-acre headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the ICF reach extends across the globe, with offices and staff in China, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa, as well as Texas. It works through strong partnerships with local organizations, governments, universities, businesses, and others in these regions. More than 125 ICF staff and associates work with a network of hundreds of specialists in 50 countries on five continents.

The Foundation is committed to a future where all 15 of the world’s crane species are secure. Through the charisma of cranes, ICF envisions a future where people work together for wild crane populations and the landscapes they depend on – and by doing so, find new pathways to sustain our water, land,
and livelihoods. 

Through the following video, visit some of the beautiful locations around the world that 15 crane species call home. Meet those working for the cranes they love – through education and preserving crucial ecosystems and waterways. 
To watch, “Where Cranes Dance, go here: https://youtu.be/qQ6yejsXkew

And, if you aren’t already a member, please consider becoming one!
Visit savingcranes.org for more information and to support the work of ICF.

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USFWS – “Endangered” vs. “Threatened” species status

Posted on December 17, 2021 by KY4cranes
Graphic showing the total world population of Whooping Cranes – reflecting the recent shooting deaths of 4 of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo migratory population of Whooping Cranes while migrating through Oklahoma. Graphic courtesy of the International Crane Foundation

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Urgent action needed for Whooping Cranes

Posted on December 17, 2021 by KY4cranes

Four Whooping Cranes Are Dead

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are investigating the deaths— the result of an outrageous illegal shooting event. We are angry and heartsick. The International Crane Foundation, along with many partners, has invested millions of dollars and decades of time and expertise to bring Whooping Cranes back from the brink of extinction. And in an instant four birds are gone forever.  We can’t bring back these four, but we can bring the perpetrators to justice. We can redouble our efforts to protect Whooping Cranes along their hazardous migration routes. We can expand our cooperative work with hunters and hunting groups to increase awareness of Whooping Crane presence. And we can continue to be the voice and act for Whooping Cranes on their wintering grounds in Texas and through reintroduction efforts in Wisconsin and Louisiana. 

We can and we will. But not without your help.

Earlier this week we shared the news that a proposal is under consideration by the USFWS to downlist Whooping Cranes from Endangered to Threatened. We are deeply concerned about this proposal if it moves forward. These four deaths illustrate just how fragile the recovery of this species remains. Please take action today with a contribution.

Every crane counts.

Sincerely,
Dr. Richard Beilfuss, International Crane Foundation President and CEO

P.S. Decades of hard work and vigilance have kept Whooping Cranes alive on our planet, and each one of you decided to help along the way. Together, we are playing a lead role in the historic comeback of Whooping Cranes. It is our collective legacy. 

International Crane Foundation
608-356-9462
info@savingcranes.org
savingcranes.org

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Deaths Of Endangered Whooping Cranes Under Investigation

Posted on December 16, 2021 by KY4cranes

The following was posted December 16, 2021 by the Friends of the Wild Whoopers

Oklahoma Game Warden Jeremy Brothers approaches the injured whooping crane that later died due to its injuries.

Whooping Crane Deaths Under Investigation

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to investigate the deaths of endangered Whooping Cranes near Tom Steed Lake in Kiowa County.

One Whooping Crane was discovered by hunters who notified game wardens with ODWC. The Whooping Crane subsequently died while being transported to a veterinarian clinic. Additional evidence was recovered at the scene. The USFWS’s Wildlife Forensics Laboratory conducted a necropsy and verified the cause of death as a shotgun wound.

Further investigation of the original crane’s location uncovered evidence of three additional Whooping Cranes, bringing the total loss to four. All of the deaths are being investigated by ODWC and USFWS law enforcement officers.

“This is sickening to see such a wanton waste of wildlife, and our Game Wardens are very eager to visit with the individual or individuals who committed this crime,” said Wade Farrar, Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement with the Wildlife Department. “Somebody out there knows something that will help in this investigation, and I trust that they will do the right thing and come forward.”

Whooping Cranes are an endangered species with a total population of approximately 500 birds in North America. Whooping Cranes are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. A conviction for killing a Whooping Crane can carry up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine per person under the Endangered Species Act, and up to six months in jail and a $15,000 fine under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Reward Offered For Information

Anyone with information regarding the deaths of these Whooping Cranes is asked to contact the Wildlife Department’s Operation Game Thief at (918) 331-5555 or the USFWS’ Office of Law Enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas, at (817) 334-5202. Callers with information may remain anonymous.

Operation Game Thief, the Oklahoma Game Warden Association, ODWC’s Wildlife Diversity Program and the USFWS are offering cash rewards for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of these endangered cranes.

Whooping Cranes travel through Oklahoma during migrations to and from their breeding grounds in Texas. Most Whooping Crane sightings in Oklahoma are reported from mid-October through November. Whooping Crane sightings can be shared with the Wildlife Department online.

***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****

Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Plans to Gut Protections for Whooping Crane

Posted on December 16, 2021 by KY4cranes

The Center for Biological Diversity press release, December 13, 2021 

Buried in the Biden administration’s unified regulatory agenda released last week is a plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to weaken or end protections for several iconic species, including Whooping Crane, Key deer and Florida panther.

The upcoming proposed rules could spell disaster for these three animals, notes a letter sent today to the Biden administration by the Center for Biological Diversity. Both the Whooping Crane and Key Deer are at severe risk from sea-level rise and climate change. The Florida Panther remains one of the most endangered cat populations in the world.

“It’s a gut punch that the Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to weaken protections for Whooping Cranes and Key Deer, when both species’ homes could be underwater in decades,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center. “And it’s appalling that the Fish and Wildlife Service is even considering moving forward with a Trump-era plan to reduce protections for the Florida Panther just to enrich special interest real-estate developers.”

Most of Big Pine Key — the biggest stronghold of the Florida Key deer — will be under water in decades because of sea-level rise caused by climate change, and the deer’s habitat is increasingly imperiled by more frequent and more intense hurricanes. In addition to habitat loss, the Key deer is threatened by the New World screwworm, which killed more than 10% of the entire population in 2016.

The Service’s own recovery plan calls
for at least 1,000 wild cranes before downlisting to threatened status can occur, but the population today remains
at only half that — 506 individuals.

The only wild, free-flying Whooping Crane population winters along the Texas coast around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which is also threatened by sea-level rise. The crane is also jeopardized by pesticides, powerline collisions, oil spills and habitat loss. The Service’s own recovery plan calls for at least 1,000 wild cranes before downlisting to threatened status can occur, but the population today remains at only half that — 506 individuals.

Records released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request show that the Fish and Wildlife Service regional office decided to begin the process of reducing panther protections in 2018 by downlisting them to threatened. That was years before the agency completed an official five-year review or species status assessment, neither of which are finished yet.

There are only approximately 200 Florida panthers in the world — that’s about half the size of the Siberian tiger population, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature ranks as critically endangered.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service is thumbing its nose at President Biden’s directive to federal agencies to follow the best available science in all decisions, especially those relating to climate change,” said Hartl. “We’d hoped that the horrific anti-wildlife tactics so often employed during the Trump era had ended, but it appears we were wrong.”

Even before the Trump administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service routinely ranked among the worst agencies in terms of concerns about political interference undermining the scientific process. In a 2015 survey, 73% of responding Fish and Wildlife Service scientists reported that the level of consideration of political interests was too high.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org

Whooping Crane. Photo by Steve Gifford
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Historic First – Whooping Cranes Found Nesting in Texas

Posted on April 23, 2021 by KY4cranes

Louisiana whoopers_flight_grangerlk_friendshippk_12-28-11_Sara Zimorski_2010 cohort

Two Whooping Cranes from the 2010 cohort of the reintroduced, non-migratory population in Louisiana. Photo by Sara Zimorski

For the first time in recent history, two pairs of endangered Whooping Cranes have been found nesting in southeastern Texas. The Whooping Cranes, part of a non-migratory population originally introduced in Louisiana, are currently found on private land in Jefferson and Chambers counties.

The newcomers are part of a reintroduction the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) began in 2011. This designated non-essential population was introduced into historically occupied wetland habitats at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in southwest Louisiana. Since then, the current population of around 73 birds has nested and successfully hatched and reared chicks in a variety of wetland habitats throughout Louisiana, on both private and public lands.

Pair L8-16 and L22-17 met and paired in Chambers County in March 2019 and have not returned to Louisiana since.  Pair L24-16 and L14-17 met and paired at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Cameron Parish, Louisiana in December 2018 and made seasonal trips back and forth from Cameron Parish to Jefferson County, Texas before nesting this spring!  https://bit.ly/3skoDbL

“We are excited to see this reintroduction effort show continued signs of success, with nesting now occurring in Texas,” said Amy Lueders, the Service’s Southwest Regional Director. “It’s a true reflection of the power of partnerships. We would also like to thank the private landowners who have been incredibly supportive of these efforts.”

“Conservation cannot happen in Texas and beyond without the support and dedication of our private landowners,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). “We look forward to our continued efforts with our vast network of partners, especially private landowners, to ensure whooping cranes, and all of our wildlife in Texas, thrive in the future.”

“We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of our Texas partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and especially the private landowners whose properties are supporting the survival of the Louisiana cranes,” LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet said.  “Of course wildlife does not respect state boundaries, so our Louisiana cranes sought out suitable habitats in southeast Texas to establish territories and nests.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently completed an agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service that provides private landowners in southeast Texas similar regulatory protections that landowners hosting whooping cranes in Louisiana receive and also provides technical assistance to plan conservation actions that enhance wetland habitats for a variety of wildlife species.

“Conservation plans developed by the NRCS are voluntary and available upon producer request at no cost.  These plans specify options for practices and management to meet the conservation measures for this population of Whooping Crane,” said Frank Baca, USDA NRCS Wildlife Biologist. “Additionally, farm bill programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are available to provide cost assistance to producers that may want to maintain or enhance habitat for these birds or other wildlife on their working lands.”

The public is reminded to keep a distance from the birds and to not trespass on private property to observe them.

“These birds are particularly sensitive to human disturbance while they are nesting, so please stay at least 1,000 feet away when viewing Whooping Cranes,” said Wade Harrell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Whooping Crane Coordinator. “This will ensure that the birds have a chance to hatch and rear their chicks successfully.”

Whooping Cranes are one of the rarest birds in North America. Cranes have been documented to live more than 30 years in the wild. Adults generally reach reproductive age at four or five years, and then lay two eggs, usually rearing only one chick during the breeding season.

The non-migratory population now found nesting in Louisiana and Texas is different from the self-sustaining wild Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population. This population of more than 500 Whooping Cranes breeds in the wetlands of Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada and spends the winter on the Texas coast at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport.

More information about the Whooping Crane reintroduction effort can be found on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/whooping-crane.

Contacts:
USFWS Aubry Buzek, (512) 962-0289, aubry_buzek@fws.gov
LDWF Sara Zimorski, (337) 536-7006, szimorski@wlf.la.gov
USFWS Wade Harrell, (361) 676-9953, wade_harrell@fws.gov
USDA Frank Baca, (979) 985-4526, franklin.baca@usda.gov
TPWD Press Office, (512) 389-8030, news@tpwd.texas.gov

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Honoring Gee Whiz – A Father of Whooping Crane Conservation

Posted on March 21, 2021 by KY4cranes

The following is from a March 12, 2021 press release courtesy of the International Crane Foundation Newsroom, North America, Travels with George, Whooping Crane

Gee Whiz at home in Crane City in Baraboo, WI

Gee Whiz, a Whooping Crane extremely important to crane reintroduction, passed away recently in Crane City, our breeding facility. He lived for 38 years and nine months.

A miracle from inception, Gee Whiz was the first Whooping Crane to hatch at the International Crane Foundation and only the fifth Whooping Crane at our headquarters. He also was the only living son of Tex, a legendary Whooping Crane made famous by her closest friend, International Crane Foundation Co-founder Dr. George Archibald. The world learned about Tex when George appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1982 to tell their inspiring story of Whooping Crane reintroduction perseverance. George Archibald danced with Tex to induce her to lay eggs.

“I worked with Tex for seven years before a successful hatch of Gee Whiz in 1982,” recalled International Crane Foundation Co-founder George Archibald. “I was 36 when Gee Whiz hatched and 74 when he died. During those intervening years, Gee Whiz, with the assistance of the International Crane Foundation’s excellent staff, produced many offspring.

“During those years, I spent much of my time in Asia and Africa helping other cranes,” George continued. “When home, I visited Gee Whiz from time to time. He was perhaps the most aggressive of our cranes and greeted everyone, including his stepdad, with threat postures and loud calls. He had amazing vitality.”

Gee Whiz hatched June of 1982 at the International Crane Foundation through an artificial insemination (AI) process from semen sent to the International Crane Foundation from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. He is named after Dr. George Gee, who worked at Patuxent and collected the semen used for AI.

A tenacious bird, Gee Whiz beat the odds, thanks to the innovative care of dedicated staff. His egg was underweight, and he was very weak at hatch. Gee Whiz required a lot of human intervention to gain strength and develop into a strong chick.

A resident of the International Crane Foundation his whole life, Gee Whiz is best known for being a father of Whooping Crane conservation, having been the patriarch of a family of 178 genetically diverse Whooping Cranes through four decades. For many years, Gee Whiz shared his pen with his mate Oobleck.

Gee Whiz’s paternal efforts helped bring back one of the most endangered bird families on the planet, from numbers as low as 14 in the 1940s to more than 800 birds today.

Gee Whiz’s contributions to Whooping Crane Conservation ensure Whooping Cranes remain on the landscape, especially in the Eastern Flyway, the home to many of Gee Whiz’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They carry on the battle of Whooping Crane conservation, helping guarantee the survival of these beautiful, charismatic and tenacious birds.

Some of these offspring include a female Whooping Crane, who was reintroduced to Wisconsin’s landscape. Along with her mate, she made her home on a cranberry farm 60 miles north of Baraboo, Wisconsin. We refer to this pair as 5-11 and 12-11. For several years, the pair only produced infertile eggs. But around 2014, a researcher discovered their first chick.

“5-11 and 12-11 have fledged two chicks, W1-18 and W1-19, both of which are still alive. The pair almost fledged twins in 2020,” said Curator of Birds Kim Boardman. Another male descendant of Gee Whiz, 4-12, is part of the “Royal Couple,” the first pair to nest at White River Marsh in Wisconsin.

Two other offspring of Gee Whiz, 4-17 and 6-17, were part of a trio of Whooping Cranes observed last spring by George, as the triad made their home about five miles from the International Crane Foundation. More information about this triad is available through our Travel’s With George blog series.

Gee Whiz was known for his bigger than life personality. He was fiercely territorial of his house and enclosure at the foundation, requiring staff to have fast reflexes when working in his proximity. Kim recalls, “As the only offspring of Tex, his genetics were highly valuable, and much time was spent performing AI on Gee Whiz in the spring. “Everyone dreaded having to handle Gee Whiz for AI because he was an expert at finding the top edge of handlers’ boots and pecking or biting the handlers’ calves just above their boots or nipped at their fingers as they stroked his legs. To say he ‘left his mark’ was an understatement,” she continued.

To keep Gee Whiz’s legacy alive, please consider making a gift supporting our Whooping Crane reintroduction projects. With your gift we will continue establishing new, wild Whooping Crane populations in North America. Your generosity will strengthen our efforts to continue breeding, raising, releasing and monitoring Whooping Cranes in the wild. Gifts can be made here.

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