Whooping cranes were reduced to 15 individuals in 1941 and remain critically endangered, with captive-raised birds guided on migrations by ultralight aircraft.
Whooping crane chicks raised in isolation from humans to maintain wild behaviour require handlers in full crane costume, an unusual welfare management approach that causes minimal human imprinting. Power line collisions cause acute trauma and death during migration. Cranes that survive power line strikes may have wing injuries preventing migration. Predation from bobcats and coyotes in wintering grounds causes acute suffering. Small population size means every individual represents a significant proportion of the species, giving individual welfare decisions heightened conservation importance.