One of the great interspecies love stories of our time has come to an end.
Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has died at the age of 42. She is survived by her eight chicks, the loving staff of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and Walnut’s cherished human caretaker, Chris Crow. I’ve known her for almost 20 years.
“Kurumi was a unique individual with a lively personality,” Crowe said in a statement released by the National Zoo. “I will always be grateful for the bond she has with me.”
Fort Worth Zoo welcomes ‘surprise’ lion cub: ‘We’ve been keeping a secret’
Walnut’s (and Chris’) story has inspired internet fame and the occasional love song. Its origins date back to the bird’s arrival at the institute’s campus in Front Royal, Virginia, in 2004.
Walnut were two wild crane chicks brought illegally to the United States and later rescued by the International Crane Foundation, where they were hand-raised and bonded with their human caretakers. This preference for her continued even after she came to the institute. She shows no interest in breeding and has even attacked male crane suitors.
However, the white-naped crane is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Currently, fewer than 5,300 birds remain in their natural habitat in Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, and China due to habitat loss, pollution, nest predation, and poaching. And the walnut gene, a descendant of two wild-caught cranes, did not exist in U.S. zoos. Therefore, convincing walnuts to breed was considered a priority.
Walnut the white-naped crane and his keeper Chris Crow walk through the white-naped crane habitat at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2021. (Roshan Patel/Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, via Associated Press)
Crow captivated her by “observing and imitating” the breeding behavior of the institute’s male white-naped cranes, the zoo said in a statement.
The video shows the crows providing the walnuts with food as well as grass and leaves for nest building. When he flaps his arms in front of her, her tall majestic bird flaps its wings excitedly and dances in a semicircle, bobbing her head. Once Crow gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using her male crane’s sperm.
This unique arrangement was a great success and Walnut gave birth to eight chicks. The fertilized eggs were given to other pairs of white-naped cranes, who cared for them as their own. Of the eight white-naped cranes currently living at the institute, one is Kurumi’s chick and the other is Walnut’s grandchild.
This relationship also appears to have been beneficial for Walnut’s health. The 42-year-old has almost tripled the average lifespan of white-naped cranes in human care, which is 15 years.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Walnut was born in the summer of 1981 in Wisconsin. Her name comes from a popular walnut she pie dessert at a local Wisconsin restaurant.
Starting on the morning of January 2nd, zookeepers noticed that Walnut was not eating or drinking. Even offering her favorite treats like frozen and thawed mice, peanuts, and mealworms failed to stimulate her appetite. Veterinarians administered fluids and antibiotics and drew blood for analysis. However, her health continued to deteriorate, and Ms. Walnut was eventually hospitalized. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by an animal care team. An autopsy revealed her cause of death was renal failure.
“She was always confident in expressing herself, was an enthusiastic and talented dancer, and was stoic in the face of life’s challenges,” Crowe said. “Walnut’s extraordinary story has helped draw attention to the plight of her endangered species. I hope everyone touched by her story will be able to help protect wetland habitats if her species survives.” I hope they understand that it all depends on their abilities and aspirations.”
