In the 1950's, Audubon Zoo became the first zoo to successfully breed whooping cranes. The only previous captive birth was at a Texas wildlife refuge. That chick's mother, Josephine, hailed from Audubon Zoo. One of only two remaining cranes from a southwest Louisiana flock, Josephine was brought here in 1940 by federal wildlife agents. She was sent to Texas in 1948 but returned to Audubon three years later with her mate, Crip. The pair produced two chicks in 1956, and another the following year. Josephine died in 1965, a victim of stress in the wake of Hurricane Betsy. Crip was sent to the San Antonio Zoo. Their three offspring, all males, remained at Audubon Zoo until the 1970s. Josephine and her flock made a lasting impression on Audubon. The Zoo used a stylized whooping crane in its logo for many years after Josephine had passed on. Today, Audubon Nature Institute continues their conservation efforts in partnership with San Diego Zoo, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Chevron to save whooping cranes from extinction. Programs such as the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife help ensure sustainable populations of endangered species by developing successful breeding and husbandry protocols.
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