An experimental flock of whooping cranes has done something big -- one of its pairs has produced what's thought to be the flock's first egg
near Necedah in northern Juneau County.
Larry Wargowsky, manager of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, says a worker there discovered a whooping crane incubating an egg Saturday. But by Sunday the egg was destroyed -- most likely by a raccoon or another predator.
Joe Duff is co-founder of Operation Migration, an Ontario, Canada-based nonprofit organization. It's entering its fifth year leading whooping cranes on ultralight-led migrations from central Wisconsin to Florida.
He says it's exciting because the egg is earlier than expected.
He says whooping cranes typically reach sexual maturity when they're between the ages of three and eight.
The pair that produced the egg was hatched in 2001 and 2002.