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Whoop It Up: Cranes Close In
Whooping Cranes make their final approach guided by ultralight aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo Special to TBO.com by BRYAN FARROW
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Published: January 28, 2008
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DUNNELLON - A group of 17 endangered whooping cranes and four ultralight aircrafts is close to completing a 1,260-mile trip to Florida's Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.
The "Class of 2007" cranes crossed seven states since Oct. 13 and are the seventh group to be guided by ultralights to Florida from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The group arrived in Marion County on Sunday and have a short, 26-mile finale to complete today.
The birds were slowed earlier on their trip by cold weather and heavy rain near the Florida-Georgia border after leaving the Wisconsin refuge. Bad weather has repeatedly delayed this year's flock.
In the spring, the newest group of birds will return to Wisconsin on its own.
The program's goal is to establish a viable eastern migratory flock to help preserve the species. There's only one wild migrating flock now, traveling from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.
Last year's project was struck by tragedy when 17 chicks who had successfully migrated drowned at Chassahowitzka during a February storm. They were trapped in a pen used for protection against predators.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, an international coalition of public and private organizations, has conducted the reintroduction project to try and return the species to its historic range in eastern North America.
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