Rare whooping crane dies in Indiana after injury

CAYUGA, Ind. — State wildlife officials say a rare whooping crane has died after being found with a broken leg near a western Indiana power plant.

An Indiana conservation officer found the federally endangered crane Monday at Duke Energy’s Wabash River plant near the town of Cayuga. The officer noticed a severe break in one of the crane’s legs and the bird was taken to the Indianapolis Zoo for treatment.

But conservation officer Matt Vossmer says the bird was too badly injured and died Tuesday. He says the bird’s injury was attributed to natural causes.

Whooping cranes are North America’s largest birds, standing over 5 feet tall. The birds were close to extinction in the 1940s.

Recovery efforts have boosted their population to about 500 in the wild, but their status remains fragile.