July 10, 2001 Jennifer describes arrival day! Audio Clip (.wma format, 934 Kb) (.wav format, 438K) (.aif format, 438 K) Goodbye Patuxent, Hello Necedah The gangly young cranes from Patuxent arrived via private jet at Wisconsin's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge today! After a health exam, they were divided into two cohorts (small crane groups) according to hatch dates. Then a climate controlled van transported each cohort to its new pen on a secluded marsh. Jennifer Rabuck, a ranger at the Refuge, reports, "They came flying out of their crates and were so happy to be in the wetlands!" The younger chicks will stay together at Site #1 for the next several weeks. The older chicks will stay a distance away at Site #2. The cohorts are kept apart because their ages mean they'll learn at different rates, and also because they would fight if all were together at once. The crew will give them a few days to get used to their surroundings before training starts again. Whooping cranes are back in Wisconsin to soon fly free again after an absence of over 100 years! Chicks arrive via private jet Chicks released into wetlands Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form