Franklin Park Zoo Cranes Refuse to Court
It seems the Franklin Park Zoo has a bit of a dilemma on its hands these days: two African Wattled cranes named Kotze and Pepe, members of an increasingly endangered species, are refusing to mate after they were introduced and housed together for that very purpose.
Wattled cranes only have an estimated 8,000 members left worldwide, and the zoo is attempting to help reverse the troubling trend and preserve the population by producing a hatchling in captivity. Kotze and Pepe could care less, however, leading to a very interesting and funny article at the Boston Globe about the predicament.
Watch the video after the jump for a brief overview, featuring Franklin Park curator Frank Beall, who must be a little frustrated by now, and then read “It’s Not Happening at the Zoo.” I was fascinated to learn that cranes can reach six feet in height, a really freaky prospect since that isn’t much taller than me.
FYI: Franklin Park’s new wattled crane exhibit opened on Memorial Day, and it’s currently available to visitors during normal business hours, between Serengeti Crossing and the Giraffe Savannah at the zoo (One Franklin Park Road, Boston, 617-541-5466).
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