DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM Newsradio) — A "once in a lifetime" rescue effort by the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center is paying off, after three sandhill cranes released in July were spotted thriving in the wild.
The center confirmed the sighting after a runner reported seeing the trio near a forest preserve where they had been released. Staff say the birds are the same foster family they raised earlier this year.
Two chicks were rescued in May after their injured parent could no longer care for them. Days later, another adult crane, also recovering from an injury, was brought to the center. Although unrelated, the adult quickly bonded with the chicks and began caring for them.
An injured adult sandhill crane bonds with two rescued chicks at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation CenterDuPage Wildlife Conservation Center
After weeks of rehabilitation, the cranes were released together in July. Wildlife staff say it's rare to receive post-release updates, and even rarer for such an unusual pairing to succeed.
Sandhill cranes, once nearly wiped out in parts of the Midwest, have rebounded in recent decades. The birds typically migrate south from October to December to warmer states such as Texas and Florida.
