Remembering DC's Crane With a Crush

A rare white-naped crane named Walnut passed away at the Smithsonian's research campus in Front Royal a couple weeks ago. She became an internet sensation in 2021 after “falling in love” with her zookeeper Chris Crowe.

This wasn’t just a fling; cranes mate for life. Walnut – previously known for murdering male cranes who hit on her (#girlboss) – imprinted on Chris when she arrived in Virginia in 2004.

The bird keeper gained Walnut’s trust by flapping his arms to mimic the species’ unison dance, tossing grass in the air (a sly reference to nesting together), and feeding her little treats. I mean, who wouldn’t fall for that?

Their situationship helped the research center breed Walnut and she gave birth to eight chicks, contributing to her species’ survival. There are only 5,300 white-naped cranes left in the wild, primarily in Siberia and East Asia due to habitat loss and poaching.

Walnut lived to be an ancient 42 years old, far beyond the life expectancy for her species, which is 15 years. Chris claims she was “an excellent dancer, and stoic in the face of life’s challenges.” It’s a love story for the ages.