Endangered Chick Killed in Louisiana; Officials Offer $12,500 Reward for Info Leading to Suspect’s Arrest

Endangered Chick Killed in Louisiana; Officials Offer $12,500 Reward For Info Leading to Suspect's Arrest
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Steve Hillebrand / USFWS)

A baby whooping crane, which is an endangered species, was shot. Its death came two months after it was released into the wild.

Endangered Whooping Crane Killed

The Dallas Zoo, where the bird was born, announced its death last week. It was reportedly found with gunshots in Louisiana.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce our whooping crane chick, released to the wild in November 2023, was found deceased with a fatal gunshot wound on January 9 near Mamou, Louisiana," Dallas Zoo announced on X.

The chick was just released into the wild two months earlier as part of a conservation program to increase its population.

Zoo and wildlife officials are determined to hold the person responsible. They offer a $12,500 reward to anyone who can give them information leading to the culprit's arrest or indictment. The suspect remains at large.

Those with information can contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 985-882-3756 and The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Lake Charles Office at 337-491-2588.

Whooping cranes are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and those who harm them face up to one year in jail and $50,000 in fines, according to Daily Mail.

At the Dallas Zoo, conservation is the cornerstone of everything they do. Even while they frequently celebrate success stories, the work they do with such love is sometimes characterized by difficulties and uncontrollable setbacks. Everyone involved reportedly felt the "significant loss."

According to staff, the experiment began with adult whooping cranes breeding to produce viable eggs, and the crew worked on it for five years. The International Crane Foundation donated the egg to the Dallas Zoo; after that, workers placed it beneath the incubating pair, and the couple nurtured the chick as their own. To help the birds get used to their new surroundings before they venture out into the wild, the Audubon Institute introduced the crane along with three others.

As a federally endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, harming whooping cranes in any manner is strictly prohibited. The incident is currently under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) March 13, 2024

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What Is a Whooping Crane?

Whooping crane is North America's tallest and most majestic bird, distinguished by its crimson head, dazzling white plumage, bugling call, and elegant courtship dance. It's also one of our rarest birds, demonstrating the inventiveness and persistence of conservation scientists. After a decrease to approximately 20 birds in the 1940s, the species increased to about 600 birds because of captive breeding, wetland management, and a creative program that teaches juvenile cranes how to migrate.

They weigh 15 pounds, have a wingspan of almost 7 feet, and grow to a height of over 5 feet, comparable to many humans. Their trachea, which is five feet long and coils around their sternum, enables the bird to make a powerful call that can be heard over the marsh for a great distance. Either their courtship duet or their single-note guard call is most likely where the Whooping Crane gets its name.

Their gait is elegant and graceful. Its courting dance is an impressive display of kicking, head-pumping, wing-sweeping, and leaping.

Whooping Cranes are best seen in the winter at Texas' Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. During the summer, this population breeds in Canada's isolated Wood Buffalo National Park.

Whooping Cranes can be seen during migration at well-known rest stops like Nebraska's Platte River. Search for Them among the considerably greater quantities of Sandhill Cranes, which present an exhilarating spectacle for avian enthusiasts.