MOTHER NATURE IS A BITCH

The whooping crane is North America's largest bird. Near extinction for ages, the population now stands at 373, from a low of 15 in the 1940s. The only current natural habitat in the U.S. is along the Texas gulf coast.

Efforts to revive whooper numbers are ongoing. Eggs are incubated in laboratory-like conditions. Birds introduced to the wild are taught the ropes by costumed surrogate parents. An ultra-light aircraft flown by a costumed pilot taught them to migrate.

Mother nature refuses to cooperate, however, a storm killing the entire Florida migratory population.