You haven’t truly seen a whooping crane until you’ve wandered onto the wetlands where they winter. The horizon is just a bit bigger there. Saltmarshes and ribbons of water unfurl endlessly in front of you, breathing easy behind the comfort of a seemingly impregnable line of barrier islands in the distance.
Two pairs of whooping cranes nested on private land in Jefferson and Chambers counties this year. It’s believed to be the first time the endangered birds have nested in Texas since the 1800s.
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.
A South Texas animal refuge is issuing a warning: leave the gators alone.
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, located in Austwell, Texas, on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast, posted a message to its followers on Facebook on May 3. Friends, unfortunately, we have to post these important reminders once again, the refuge writes. We see your selfies and other photos and we are concerned about your safety and the safety of the animals.
The organization stressed feeding wildlife, including alligators, is not allowed on the refuge, adding the animals can become aggressive to humans if they are fed on the regular.
A South Texas animal refuge is issuing a warning: leave the gators alone.
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, located in Austwell, Texas, on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast, posted a message to its followers on Facebook on May 3. Friends, unfortunately, we have to post these important reminders once again, the refuge writes. We see your selfies and other photos and we are concerned about your safety and the safety of the animals.
The organization stressed feeding wildlife, including alligators, is not allowed on the refuge, adding the animals can become aggressive to humans if they are fed on the regular.