WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the great interspecies love stories of our time has come to an end.
Walnut, a white-naped crane and Internet celebrity, has died at age 42. She is survived by eight chicks, the loving staff of the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and Chris Crowe, a human zookeeper whom Walnut considered his partner for nearly 20 years.
“Walnut was a unique individual with a lively personality,” Crowe said in a statement released by the National Zoo. “I will always be grateful for his connection to me.”
Walnut’s (and Chris’) story has inspired Internet fame and the occasional love song. It dates back to the bird’s arrival in 2004 at the institute’s campus in Front Royal, Virginia.
The chick of two wild cranes that had been brought illegally to the U.S. and then rescued by the International Crane Foundation, Walnut was hand-raised by people and bonded to her human caretakers. That preference continued when she arrived at high school; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors.
But the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers white-naped cranes vulnerable. Today, fewer than 5,300 remain in their native habitats in Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan and China due to habitat loss, pollution, nest predation and poaching. And as a descendant of two wild cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. Therefore, convincing Walnut to breed was considered a priority.
Enter Crowe, who, according to a zoo statement, won her over by “observing and imitating” the actions of the institute’s male snow-naped cranes during the breeding season.
The videos show Crowe offering nut food, as well as grass and leaves as nest-building materials. When he waves her arms in front of her, the tall, majestic bird flaps her wings excitedly in response and dances in a semicircle with her head bobbing. Once Crowe gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.
The unique arrangement proved to be a great success and Walnut gave birth to eight chicks. The fertilized eggs were given to other pairs of white-crowned cranes who cared for them as if they were their own. Of the eight white-haired cranes currently living at the institute, one is Walnut’s chick and another is her grandson.
The relationship also appears to have been beneficial to Walnut’s health; at 42 years, it nearly tripled the 15-year average lifespan of white-naped cranes under human care.
Walnut was born in Wisconsin in the summer of 1981. It was named after the popular pecan pie dessert from a local Wisconsin restaurant.
Beginning on the morning of January 2, caregivers noticed that Walnut was not eating or drinking. Not even offers of his favorite delicacies (frozen and thawed mice, peanuts, and mealworms) could whet his appetite. Veterinarians administered fluids and antibiotics and drew blood for testing. But her health continued to decline, and Walnut was eventually hospitalized. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by an animal care team; An autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was kidney failure.
“She was always confident in expressing herself, was an enthusiastic and excellent dancer, and stoic in the face of life’s challenges,” Crowe said. “Walnut’s extraordinary story has helped draw attention to the plight of her vulnerable species. I hope that everyone who was moved by her story understands that the survival of their species depends on our ability and desire to protect wetland habitats.”