SAN ANTONIO – Currently, there are only 826 whooping cranes in the world. These endangered birds are at risk of becoming extinct and since the 1970s the San Antonio Zoo has been trying to help these animals.
“We were one of the first zoos to ever actually exhibit these birds, and of the first to actually breed them,” animal care manager Quiton Pyle said.
The new “Back From the Brink" habitat that was opened last month currently features a male named Madison and a female named Patty. Zoo officials are hoping the two will soon breed and welcome several chicks.
Habitat for endangered whooping crane opens at San Antonio Zoo
“Our main goal here is to actually reproduce a captive population," Pyle said.
Though the whooping crane population is steadily increasing, the birds are still faced with habitat loss and overhunting.
To see them in their natural habitat you can take a short trip to Port Aransas, about 180 miles southeast of San Antonio.