Posted on 11/30/2001 11:07:25 AM PST by UB355
Gilchrest County, Florida - Friday Nov. 30, 2001
The pilots were not able to lead the whooping cranes on their flight this morning because of strong southerly winds. Unfortunately the south winds are expected to continue for several days. The expected arrival date at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is now Monday, Dec. 3.
Cumulative Migration Distance = 1,140 miles
What am I missing here?
When teaching cranes to follow an ultralight aircraft they can easily become overly tame. If this happened, they could suffer an "identity crisis" when they reach breeding age and not recognize other whooping cranes, or become a nuisance because they associate people with a source of food. While interacting with the birds, the Operation Migration handlers minimize human contact time. They work in silence while covered head to toe in gray fabric costumes that disguise the human form. This is done so that the cranes will not be familiar with the normally dressed humans they may encounter after they are released.
Some weird stuff, huh? They might try dressing up like Shriners.
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