Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Tributes Pour In For Crane Who Chose Zookeeper As Her Mate For 20 Years After She Dies At 42

Zookeeper Chris Crowe with "Walnut," a white-naped crane
Smithsonian's National Zoo

Walnut, a white-naped crane who fell in love with her human zookeeper at the Smithsonian's Nation Zoo in D.C. and shunned all other birds for 20 years, has died.

A white-naped crane named Walnut, who captured the heart of the internet for choosing her zookeeper as her mate, has died at 42.

The Facebook page for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute informed followers that Walnut's age had surpassed the median life expectancy, which is 15 years, for the endangered species under human care.


Walnut's parents were illegally captured from the wild and brought to the U.S. in the early 1980s and were later rescued by the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin. Walnut hatched in the summer of 1981 and was hand-raised and socially imprinted with humans.

Zookeeper Chris Crowe was paired with Walnut after the crane was transferred from another zoo because she didn't get along with other cranes, most notably prospective mates.

She was sent to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, where the long-necked bird bonded with and developed a "crush" on Crowe.

“We were a big part of each other’s lives," Crowe told the Washington Post.

Walnut considered Crowe her mate for 20 years.

Because she would not get along with male cranes, artificial insemination was the only way for her to breed.

"The reason why they're declining is because of us," Crowe said of the species' population. He said there were 5,000 in the wild.

He told the news outlet.

"We're destroying their habitat, we're shooting them, we're poaching them."
"Their situation is entirely man-made, so I think the situation needs to be man-made as well."

To gain her trust, Crowe pair-bonded with her by imitating courtship acts, such as flapping his arms like wings.

Crowe said what Walnut enjoyed most was him helping her build a nest, a ritual normally practiced between male and female cranes.

Artificial insemination can be troublesome as it entails two people forcibly holding down birds, but Crowe found the procedure possible when Walnut first opened her wings and solicited for him to mate with her during mating season.

It was a sign that he had not only gained her trust but took a strong liking to him as well.

Explained Crowe:

"The idea formed, instead of me catching her for the artificial insemination, I could do it with her just standing there willingly."

He continued:

"What we do is when she has fertile eggs, we slip them into another crane pair's nest so they end up being raised by a pair of cranes."

Walnut eventually produced eight chicks, two of which have gone on to naturally breed with other cranes and have offspring of their own.

The zoo's Facebook post detailed Walnut's declining health.

"The morning of Jan. 2, keepers noticed Walnut did not eat or drink. Our veterinary team administered fluids and antibiotics while they evaluated her bloodwork," the announcement read.

"Keepers presented Walnut with favored food items such as frozen-thawed mice, peanuts and mealworms to improve her appetite and encourage her to eat."
"Unfortunately, she continued to decline and was transported to the hospital, where she died naturally with the animal care team by her side. A necropsy revealed renal failure as the cause of her death."

The internet mourned her loss.






After Walnut's death, Crowe shared:

“Walnut was a unique individual with a vivacious personality."
"She was always confident in expressing herself, an eager and excellent dancer, and stoic in the face of life’s challenges. I’ll always be grateful for her bond with me."
"Walnut’s extraordinary story has helped bring attention to her vulnerable species’ plight."
"I hope that everyone who was touched by her story understands that her species’ survival depends on our ability and desire to protect wetland habitats.”

Rest in peace, Walnut.

May you soar with the angels.

More from Trending

 Andrew Isker
Contra Mundum Podcast

Christian Podcaster Roasted After Claiming He Opts For TSA Pat-Down For Truly Bonkers Reason

Christian nationalist Andrew Isker from Tennessee avoids walking through an airport security scanner at all costs because he claims it makes people gay.

So what's the alternative method he prefers for security clearance? A full body pat down by male TSA agents, of course.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Nancy Mace Ripped After Raging Over 'Evil' Constituents Asking Her To Host Town Hall

In March, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders held a caucus meeting to instruct Republican members of Congress to cancel town halls and avoid their constituents for the foreseeable future. But South Carolina MAGA Republican Representative Nancy Mace decided to take things a bit further.

Mace posted three videos attacking her own constituents for sending her an invitation and repeatedly asking for a town hall.

Keep ReadingShow less
Back shot of five young, carefree female friends stand in a field of tall sunflowers clasp hands and raise their arms to the sky.
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Unbothered People Explain How They Became Immune To A-Holes

Being able to walk away from toxic people is a skill.

Too many of us have wasted too much time in life on people who drag us down.

Keep ReadingShow less
parents holding child's hands
Nienke Burgers on Unsplash

Times People Realized Their Parents Weren't Who They Thought They Were

Some kids grow up with an inflated perception of their parents. They see them as infallible heros.

These kids are usually in for a very rude awakening.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov
10 News First/YouTube

American YouTuber Arrested After Sneaking Onto Remote Island And Leaving Diet Coke For Uncontacted Tribe

24-year-old YouTuber Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov was arrested after making contact with one of the world's last uncontacted tribes, making the perilous and ill-advised journey to North Sentinel Island and leaving a coconut and a can of Diet Coke on the beach as a gift to the Sentinelese.

Polyakov, 24, arrived at the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island at 10 a.m. on March 29, according to police reports. He used binoculars to survey the land but saw no one. He then climbed ashore, leaving behind a Diet Coke and a coconut, took sand samples, and recorded a video, the authorities said.

Keep ReadingShow less