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Whooping Crane Death in Alabama
 BackWhooping Crane Death in Alabama Originally Contact: Chuck Underwood, USFWS Southeast Region, 904-232-2580, x109 Rachel F. Levin, WCEP, 612-713-5311 Joan Garland, WCEP, 608-356-9462, x142 One of the 35 endangered whooping cranes reintroduced by ultralight aircraft to the wild in eastern North America has been found dead in northern Alabama. The carcass of crane 15 from the Class of 2002, a female, was recovered by trackers for the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, staff from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and an Alabama Department of Natural Resources conservation officer on January 3 in Limestone County. Refuge staff shipped 15-02's remains to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Forensics Center in Ashland, Ore., where a necropsy will be performed in an effort to determine the cause of death. Crane 15-02 was one of 16 young whooping cranes that made their first migration led by Operation Migration, Inc., ultralight aircraft in the fall of 2002. She arrived at Chassahowitzka NWR on Florida's Gulf coast with her flockmates on Nov. 30, 2002, after a 49-day journey from Wisconsin's Necedah NWR. She made her first unassisted migration in the spring of 2003. She left Wisconsin for this year's southward migration on Nov. 21, traveling with cranes 3-02 and 16-02. These two cranes completed their southward migration on Dec. 29 when they reached Pasco County, Fla. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private groups, is organizing the effort to reintroduce this highly imperilled species in eastern North America, which was a part of its historic range. WCEP founding members include the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration Inc., Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project's estimated $1.8 million budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsors. For more information on the project, its partners, and how you can help, visit the WCEP website at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org -WCEP- Rachel F. Levin U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region voice 612 713 5311 fax 612 713 5280 This E-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
