Audubon Zoo's Whooping Crane Legacy

In the 1950's, Audubon Zoo became the first zoo to successfully breed whooping cranes. The only previous captive birth was at a Texas wildlife refuge, and that chick's mother, Josephine, came from Audubon Zoo. One of only two remaining cranes from a southwest Louisiana flock, Josephine was brought there in 1940 by federal wildlife agents. She was sent to Texas in 1948 but returned to Audubon three years later with her mate, Crip. The pair produced two chicks in 1956 and another the following year. Josephine died in 1965 from stress after Hurricane Betsy, and Crip was sent to the San Antonio Zoo. Their three offspring, all males, remained at Audubon Zoo until the 1970s. Josephine and her flock left a lasting impression on Audubon, whose zoo used a stylized whooping crane in its logo for many years after her death. Today, Audubon Nature Institute continues conservation efforts with San Diego Zoo, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Chevron to save whooping cranes from extinction, and programs such as the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife work to sustain endangered species populations by developing successful breeding and husbandry protocols.

New Orleans, Louisiana · United States