Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo welcomes two whooping cranes

OMAHA, Neb. (FOX 42 KPTM) — The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo says for the first time ever, Wildlife Safari Park is home to two whooping cranes, a five-year-old male, and three-year-old female.

The birds can be seen in the Eagle Aviary, which is located approximately halfway through Wildlife Safari Park and is accessible by foot.

Both whooping cranes came to Wildlife Safari Park from the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, a refuge in Maryland run by the United States Geological Survey.

The cranes, among the tallest of North American bird species, can reach 1.5 meters in height.

As omnivores, their diets include crustaceans, small fish and marsh plants.

The Zoo says whooping cranes are currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

The species faces threats such as loss of habitat, human disturbance, and pollution.

The Zoo says each visit to Wildlife Safari Park directly supports conservation efforts around the globe, including the Cheetah Breeding Center located in a behind-the-scenes area at Wildlife Safari Park.