Kentucky – The Whooping Crane was one of the most endangered birds in North America, nearly vanishing in the mid-20th century. In 1941 only 16 of the birds remained, but with the help of researchers and breeders a captive breeding program was established and today approximately 600 are alive. According to these researchers a sustainable population would be 
around 1000, but they have found this to be a difficult task. The wild birds are all to often attacked by biting flies, so much so that they are unable to sit on their eggs.
These researchers put in a great deal of effort to raise these birds, wearing costumes to disguise themselves as a crane and never speaking when around them. They do this so that the birds will not become accustomed to human contact and lose their natural instincts in order to feed and reproduce. The Cranes also mate for life, living in monogamy and never mating or leaving the side of their partner. This is why the researchers were attempting to migrate the birds elsewhere, following a route from Wisconsin to Florida. Passing through, and making many stops in 5 States along the way.
The dedication of these birds to their partners was shown early this past November when wild life officials and police discovered a pair of Cranes had been murders, in Kentucky from gun shot wounds. The birds were both found around Thanksgiving.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials are asking the public for assistance in catching the shooter, offering a reward of $7,200 to the individual with information that may lead to the arrest of the shooter.
The federal retribution for killing a whooping crane can be as much as 100,000 and a year in prison.
Locals should be on the look out for these birds, they often migrate through the Shoals area
