Meet Walnut: A Crane With a Crush on Her Keeper, Chris Crowe

🐦❤️👱‍♂️ Rumor has it . . . a crane with a crush on her caretaker lives at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute? It’s true! The story of white-naped crane Walnut’s infatuation with her keeper, Chris Crowe, took flight on #TikTok in October 2021.
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Hand-raised by humans, white-naped crane Walnut imprinted and never bonded with other birds. Then she met caretaker Chris Crowe at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. She was smitten. He built Walnut’s trust and performed artificial inseminations using genetic material from male cranes. Their special bond has enabled Walnut to contribute 8 chicks to her endangered species’ survival to date (with a little help from Chris, of course).
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📽️ MEET CHRIS + WALNUT: s.si.edu/3lbkdDJ.