Four Oklahoman men were sentenced last week by the United States Attorney’s Office in Oklahoma for the shocking killing of four Whooping Cranes in Nov. 2021. Their sentencing includes restitution totaling $68,000 to the International Crane Foundation, forfeiture of firearms, and nationwide loss of hunting privileges for five years.
The next time you visit our site in Baraboo, Wisconsin, be sure to look for the beautiful new sculpture, “The Call of the Crane,” by designer and lead artist Melanie Tallmadge Sainz, studio assistant Damian Valiance Vasquez, and wood and metal fabricator Felix Sainz, Jr. The ceramic, metal and wood structure honors our Ho-Chunk neighbors and our shared commitment to protecting our planet. We are so grateful to our Emeritus Board Director, Heather Henson, for making this installation possible.
According to the most recent estimates from Environment and Climate Change, Canada, this year’s wildfires in the Northwest Territories of Canada have impacted nearly 3 million hectares – an area greater than three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Update: We have received W2-23’s necropsy results from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The analysis showed that the young crane was compromised from a systemic parasite disease common in birds. Unfortunately, a final trauma to its left foot was more than the young crane could survive. Photos by Doug Pellerin
Ancient. Elegant. Endangered. Cranes inspire us to work for a better world. Reflecting on our golden anniversary, I am drawn to the amazing places where cranes have led us, and how decades of commitment and partnership inspire innovative new ways to safeguard cranes and the lands and waters we share.
Follow the annual movements of 19 Whooping Cranes as they journey between their wintering grounds along the Texas Gulf Coast to their breeding areas in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada.
Our Southeast Asia Program Director Tran Triet is documenting the nesting of Spirit (24-17) and Cloud (4-17), a pair of reintroduced Whooping Cranes in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Read part one of this series, A Morning With Spirit and Cloud.
