ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld Orlando received the first sandhill crane chick of the year, brought in by a concerned resident from St. Cloud.
SeaWorld vets examined the bird and found it to be in good health, but too young to take care of itself at 3 days old. The chick has been paired with an adult rescued crane to learn necessary behaviors to survive in the wild, officials said.
"The chick is doing fantastic," said Eric Reece, SeaWorld's supervisor of Aviculture. "It's eating on its own and gaining weight."
Officials said both cranes will be returned to their natural habitat together once the chick has grown the feathers necessary for flying.
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