First whooping crane hatches at Dallas Zoo

DALLAS-FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) - For the first time, an endangered Whooping Crane hatched at the Dallas Zoo last month.

The zoo received the egg from a breeding pair at the International Crane Foundation, which was placed with foster parents, Huckleberry and Juniper.

According to the zoo, Huckleberry and Juniper displayed immediate parental instincts and the one-month-old little chick is thriving. They are doing a great job raising and protecting their adorable, fluffy chick!

Dallas Zoo

As part of the Dallas Zoo's conservation efforts at the Whooping Crane Center of Texas, the goal is to reintroduce this species to its natural habitat in the wild.

"With this little chick, we are one step closer to achieving that goal, as we plan to reintroduce the chick to the wild with the Louisiana population during the upcoming fall season," the Dallas Zoo said in a statement. "To ensure a successful reintroduction, our expert team of bird zoologists takes every precaution to minimize human interactions with the chick."

With decades of conservation efforts, Whooping Cranes, once on the brink of extinction, are now on the path to recovery.

According to the Endangered Species Coalition, only 15 birds survived in 1940. There are now around 600 Whooping Cranes.

The Whooping Crane is the tallest North American bird. They are early five feet tall and live for more than 30 years.

S.E. Jenkins

S.E. Jenkins is a Digital Content Producer for CBS Texas. S.E. has previously held roles in London and Ukraine. She has also been a Digital Content Producer in Tallahassee and Myrtle Beach. S.E. graduated with journalism degrees from Texas State University, Aarhus Universitet and City University of London.