There are few things which have enchanted me about this field more than the bond that can form between keepers and animals. And there are few bonds that I've heard of that were more special than that between Chris Crowe, keeper at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, and Walnut the white-naped crane. After 20 years, that bond was ended with the crane's passing at the (for a crane) very ripe old age of 42.
I first shared the story of Chris and Walnut almost 10 years ago, and again a few years later, when it caught national attention. I'd heard about it long before. It's sad to see the final chapter come to a close, but there was an extraordinary legacy to it. Instead of being written off as a "problem" bird who just couldn't be socialized and simply tucked away somewhere, Chris Crowe invested an enormous amount of time and emotional capital into this bird and her well-being... to say nothing of her conservation potential. In her lifetime, Walnut produced eight chicks, a valuable contribution for this rare, beautiful species.
She had a long, elegant neck and orange eyes. He was a jeans-and-hoodie guy. She was a white-naped crane named Walnut, who chose him as her partner. He was Chris Crowe, her keeper at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, who tried to mimic the part. (Article continues with link)
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