Baraboo foundation streams video of crane chicks
BARABOO, Wis. — The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo is giving the world a chance to watch newly hatched whooping cranes grow.
The foundation has launched its Crane Chick Cam, a streaming video of the endangered youngsters.
Viewers will be able to see young chicks being kept warm under heat lamps. As the birds get older they'll have access to outdoor runs where they can strengthen their leg and flight muscles.
The camera will also show viewers how researchers raise the chicks by dressing in full-body suits with one hand shaped like an adult crane's face and beak.
Whooping cranes nearly became extinct in 1941, when their number dwindled to only 15. Now there are about 550.
The cranes stand 5 feet tall, have snowy white plumage and have nearly 8-foot wingspans