Last month endangered whooping cranes laid eggs in Texas for the first time since the 1800s – a sign that recent reintroduction efforts have made slow but steady progress. Globally, whooping cranes now number over 800, with two of the largest populations in the United States living near Corpus Christi, Texas, and in southwest Louisiana.
Whooping cranes prefer to live in big, shallow, freshwater marshes. They’re vulnerable to predation and take a relatively long time to reproduce. Years may go by before a pair successfully raise a chick.
Why We Wrote This
Finding the right rules of engagement between people and animals is key to bringing endangered species back to healthy numbers. One corner of the Gulf Coast is trying to get it right.