It’s been more than two years since visitors walked the grounds of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, and the rare and endangered cranes there are ready to welcome them back with their charismatic calls, dances and even a few newly laid eggs.
The ICF, which operates in 55 countries around the world, closed its Baraboo headquarters in November 2018 to undergo a $10 million renovation, with plans to reopen to visitors last summer.
But the coronavirus pandemic put reopening on hold until this year. Now that local and national health guidelines have loosened, the ICF is welcoming visitors back to the only place in the world where you can see all 15 living species of cranes 11 of which are threatened or endangered.
SUSAN ENDRES
Capital Newspaper
On a staggered schedule, groups wound their way around nearly 10 acres of new exhibits Saturday to see the results of the International Crane Foundationâs $10 million renovation on its first day open to the public since closing in late 2018.
Barbara Streber, DeForest, brought her sister, Ellen Curtin, and brother-in-law Daniel Curtin, visiting from Kentucky, to the Baraboo wildlife center Saturday. Streber said sheâs been a member for many years.
âWhat I see, which is lovely, is that all of the bird pairs have a water setting now, and they didnât have that before,â Streber said of the renovated site. âThey were taken care of, but they were in kind of a caged, chute, long area and you got to see them, but this is so much more enjoyable for us and for the birds that they all have water, and itâs beautiful.â
Outdoornews
March 15, 2021
BARABOO, Wis. The first whooping crane hatched at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin has died.
Foundation officials said the crane, named Gee Whiz, died on Feb. 24 of natural causes. He was 38 years and nine months old. A whooping crane’s average life expectancy in captivity is about 25 years. The oldest crane in captivity died at age 46, according to the foundation.
Gee Whiz was conceived through artificial insemination using semen from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. He was named after George Gee, who worked at Patuxent and collected the semen.
Gee Whiz sired 178 cranes and was known for his nasty disposition. Officials with the foundation, which is located in Baraboo, said he was fiercely territorial and that workers dreaded handling him because he pecked their ankles and fingers.
David H. Thompson / International Crane Foundation
The first whooping crane hatched at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, has died.
Named Gee Whiz, it died Feb. 24 of natural causes at the age of 38 years and nine months.
The average life expectancy of a whooping crane birds that are still working their way back from the brink of extinction is about 25 years. The oldest crane in captivity died at 46, according to the foundation.
Gee Whiz was conceived through artificial insemination using semen from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. It was named after George Gee, who worked at Patuxent and collected the semen.
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