Florida Storm Kills Operation Migration Whooping Cranes

[skyflyer8]

"MILWAUKEE - All 18 endangered young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin last fall as part of a project to create a second migratory flock of the birds were killed in storms in Florida, a spokesman said."

Link to full story on Yahoo!
(not a permanent link)

I saw a PBS special called "Flight School" recently, which featured Operation Migration. It takes a LOT of effort to lead the flocks south via ultralight, so this is an unfortunate setback for the organization and the species itself.

Link to Operation Migration:
http://operationmigration.org

 

[terzap]

I hope one day they will be able to try again.

T&Ps to the other Floridians affected by the storms!

 

[ScottM]

NO!!

Man that is so sad. I have seen the Whooping cranes up in Wisconsin were this program takes place. It is the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI. I love the cranes, they are beautiful creatures and this was a special group.

 

[Andy Greever]

That sucks.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Have hope! If they can bring this bird back, then they can bring the W.C's off the endangered list. I saw this peregrine Friday

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I saw that on TV while I was at the FBO at RAC tonight. What a bummer. Especially since the migration always resulted in many GA-positive news stories along the route.

 

[ScottM]

BTW http://www.savingcranes.org/

It is one of our favorite charities.

Their press release

Whooper Reintroduction Updates


Current Trip: Winter 2007: Monitoring the Whooping Cranes
Entry February 2

Devastating Loss, February 2, 2007

We regretfully announces the loss of the 18 juvenile whooping cranes at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. The cranes died as a result of the storms that swept through central Florida during the evening and early morning of February 1 and 2. It was the second-deadliest combination of thunderstorms and tornados in Florida history.

We are in the initial stages of determining the cause of death of the 18 whooping cranes, which comprised the ultralight-led “Class of 2006” and arrived at the Chassahowitzka NWR in mid January. Following standard protocol, WCEP personnel checked on the cranes the evening of February 1. Due to the magnitude of the storm and the location of the pensite, personnel were unable to safely check on the cranes until this afternoon, at which time the birds were discovered dead in their enclosure.

While this is a setback for the whooping crane reintroduction project, WCEP has faced challenges in the past and we plan to move forward with our effort to return this highly imperiled species to its historic range in eastern North America.

“My heart is aching both for the young birds we lost and for the dedicated people who devote so much of themselves to this project, only to see the cranes’ lives end in this devastating manner. These birds were the start of a new generation of life for the species, but we will recover and continue our work,” said John Christian, co-chair of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.

Our thoughts are with the people of central Florida affected by this tragic disaster.

Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are 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.

 

[JohnR]

Very sad, but it's quite a dilemma. Do you let them live outside where they can use their natural instincts to escape severe storms, risking them dying from predators or other causes, or keep them safe 99.9% of the time and pray no tornadoes come? There's really no answer.

 

[GaryO]

One survived

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WHOOPING_CRANES?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

 

[ScottM]

One bright spot of news.

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A whooping crane was spotted alive on Sunday after it was believed killed with 17 others in severe Florida storms, according to an organizer of a migratory project.
Organizers received a signal from a transmitter on the young male crane on Saturday night and again on Sunday near where the endangered birds were kept in Citrus County, Florida.
Later Sunday, they saw the survivor with two sandhill cranes, said Rachel Levin, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"We are just so relieved to have found him alive -- one small ray of hope for this disaster in the crane project," Levin said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/03/whooping.cranes.ap/index.html



They don't say but I'll bet that they try to recapture the bird and get him back to the ICF or get him with the other flock in Florida.