Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has passed away at age 42. That preference continued when she came to the institute; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesBut white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And as the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.

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Persons: Chris Crowe, Walnut, ” Crowe, “ I’ll, Chris, Crowe Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, International Crane Foundation, International Union for Conservation of Nature . Locations: Front Royal , Virginia, U.S, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Wisconsin