Over twenty whooping cranes have been transferred to the facility following the end of the whooping crane program at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: Dozens of whooping cranes to New Orleans; pioneering Maryland lab ends breeding program
Another article about the whooping crane transfer: Freeport McMoran Audubon Species Survival Center and Dallas Zoo Team Up to Save Whooping Cranes
Three of last year's Mississppi sandhill crane chicks were officially released into the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge yesterday.
What species do they have here now? I remember reading that they had a Masai giraffe population and some okapis. Are they offering public tours, or is it all off-exhibit area?
They currently house generic giraffes, okapis, Patterson's eland, eastern bongos, Speke's sitatungas, southern sable antelope, yellow-backed duikers, an elderly generic lion, three elderly African wild cats, whooping cranes, Mississippi sandhill cranes, saddlebill storks, milky storks, Abdim's storks, blue-billed curasows, and helmeted guineafowl. They are looking to switch over to Masai giraffes; however, they wanted to test out of the facility with generic first. They are also hoping to bring in a couple of new species soon for the second phase of construction. They are not yet offering public tours, but as the facility grows and becomes more established they will eventually be offering some. They have been working with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to try and determine what kind of tours and experiences would be appropriate.
An article about the center's work with whooping cranes in collaboration with other agencies, such as Louisiana Fish and Wildlife and Calgary and Dallas Zoos: These 'eggs' are spying on whooping cranes to boost survival
5 Whooping Crane eggs have been transferred from the International Crane Foundation: Whooping Crane Egg Scorecard 2019 | International Crane Foundation
News article and video about the recent baby boom at the facility: A baby boom comes to the Audubon Institute West Bank facility
An article and video about this year’s Mississippi sandhill and whooping crane breeding success: A baby boom comes to the Audubon Institute’s West Bank facility (Yes, the article title is the same as the last, but it is a different article)
An article featuring a video and photos of some of this year's offspring, including giraffe, bongo, common eland, sitatunga, and sable calves and whooping and Mississippi sandhill crane chicks: Baby Boom at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center
The International Crane Foundation (ICF) has sent its seven costume-reared whooping crane chicks to the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center to be integrated into the center's current cohort of four chicks in preparation for their eventual release in Louisiana.
A local news story about the release of 11 whooping crane chicks from the Species Survival Center (and ICF) at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in south-western Louisiana: Crane Home Again
The facility has released a slow motion video of the unloading of their new male sitatunga into his new 12-acre enclosure. The one-year-old male arrived at Audubon from the Mesker Park Zoo via a SSP breeding recommendation: Audubon Nature Institute on Twitter
3.0 giraffe will be leaving the facility for the Chattanooga Zoo later this spring to open their new giraffe exhibit.
Two saddle-billed stork chicks hatched two weeks ago. They are the first offspring for pair "Owen" and "Amelia".
The center has welcomed the birth of a female giraffe calf. The calf has been named "Hope" by Audubon's CEO, Ron Forman: newsroom.audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-nature-institute-starts-spring-with-giraffe-birth-at-freeport-mcmoran-audubon-species-survival-center/?fbclid=IwAR2EeC7GErqRUW-mIiwmOovqim7Sn9dRVjG5PPH7LFGglAui-jpe3ieZq78
2020 was another successful year for the Freeport McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center's breeding programs, with the following successful births and hatchings: 1.2 Giraffe 0.1 Yellow-backed duiker 2.3 Southern sable antelope 1.2 Speke's sitatunga 0.0.2 Eastern bongo 1.1 Saddle-billed stork 1.5 Mississippi sandhill crane
2020 Arrivals: 1.0 Blue-billed curassow 1.0 Giraffe 1.1 Okapi 1.0 Barasingha 1.0 Yellow-backed duiker 2020 Departures: 1.5 Mississippi sandhill crane (released into wild) 5.0 Giraffe 1.0 Southern sable antelope 1.0 Yellow-backed duiker 2.1 Common eland 1.0 Speke’s sitatunga 1.1 Eastern bongo
