Mother Crane Falls in Love with Human Keeper! Kills Two Boyfriend Cranes and "Human-Animal Romance Produces 8 Offspring"

There are many friendly stories between animals and humans, but one in the United States stands out: a female crane named Walnut fell in love with a human after killing two male cranes nearby. This extraordinary bond led her to choose a human as her companion, even giving birth to offspring.

According to reports from The Washington Post, in 2004, a 23-year-old female white-naped crane named Walnut reached mating age but had not produced any chicks. The institution caring for her attempted to introduce male partners, but she showed little interest and even killed two potential suitors. As a member of an endangered species, experts were eager to breed her, and her reluctance to reproduce threatened those efforts.

Walnut was subsequently sent to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for artificial insemination. Just when everyone was losing hope, it became apparent that Walnut had developed an interest in her caretaker, Chris Crowe, who was 42 years old at the time. Chris noticed that whenever he entered the bird enclosure, Walnut would perform courtship dances and emit joyful calls. He reciprocated by dancing with her, strengthening their bond.

Walnut was typically averse to being touched by others; however, Chris was the only person she allowed close. When he stroked her back, she surprisingly responded with mating behaviors. Chris mimicked the mating actions of male cranes, which successfully led to Walnut's artificial insemination.

Under Chris's gentle guidance, Walnut successfully hatched eight chicks and even became a grandmother recently. Although Chris is unsure if Walnut killed the two male cranes out of jealousy or not, it is clear she had no interest in them afterward. White-naped cranes are known for forming lifelong bonds with their partners.

Chris humorously remarked that even when he reaches retirement age, he could never bring himself to leave Walnut behind.