Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has died at the age of 42. She is survived by eight chicks, the loving staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and ConservationBiology Institute, and by Chris Crowe – a human zookeeper whom Walnut regarded as her proxy mate for nearly 20 years.
“Walnut was a unique individual with a vivacious personality,” Crowe said in a statement released by the zoo. “I’ll always be grateful for her bond with me.”
The tale dates back to the bird’s 2004 arrival at the institute’s campus in Front Royal, Virginia.
The chick of two wild cranes who had been brought to the US illegally and were later rescued by the International Crane Foundation, Walnut was hand-raised by people and bonded with her human caretakers. That preference continued when she came to the institute – she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors…….