Fort Wayne Zoo is excited to announce a wattled crane egg hatched the morning of August 29 to mother Starling, 8 years old, and father Hannibal, 23 years old. This is the first successful wattled crane egg hatched at the Fort Wayne Zoo. The sex and name will be unveiled at a later date.
“For the first time in Fort Wayne Zoo history, we have a wattled crane chick in our care,” said Rick Schuiteman, Zoo Executive Director & CEO. “This is a tremendous win, and I am incredibly proud of our Animal Care & Health Teams for all of their dedication towards caring for this vulnerable species.”
The Zoo plays an active role in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Wattled Crane Species Survival Plan, a program that seeks to maintain genetic diversity and long-term sustainability of species with significant conservation value.
“We are pleased to see Hannibal and Starling being such attentive first-time parents,” states Michelle Smurl, Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation Education. “We are excited to see the chick grow as wattled cranes mature in a short amount of time, and most begin to fledge starting at 4 months old.”
Wattled crane chicks are quickly self-sufficient, and guests can already witness the chick foraging for food in the ground and in the pond of their habitat. When visiting the newest avian addition, please be patient if you do not see the chick right away as size and shading helps the chick blend into the tall grasses in the habitat. The wattled crane habitat is near the end of African Journey.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Wattled Crane conservation status as “Vulnerable”, which is defined as a species that faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. Click here to learn more.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
