Crane egg under surveillance
A crane egg, which is the first to have been laid in Britain for more than 400 years, is under round-the-clock guard.
Laid at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire, the precious egg is part of a conservation project for the species.
The Great Crane Project has been rearing the birds in captivity since 2010, then releasing them into the West Country, following their extinction in Britain during the 1600s.
Both parents – hand-reared by conservationists – are said to have thrived during their first three years and have only just reached maturity.
Their egg is the first known to have been laid since the project began and, indeed, since cranes became extinct hundreds of years ago in Britain.
It is therefore under strict watch, with surveillance cameras and guards protecting the egg from thieves – despite egg collecting being illegal in the UK since 1954.
Nigel Jarrett, of the WWT, said: "Cranes are an iconic part of British wildlife and one that was all but lost for centuries. There is a long way to go before cranes become widespread again, but it is absolutely momentous to see this egg laid at Slimbridge."
The Great Crane Project is a partnership between WWT, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, along with an investment from Viridor Credits Environmental Company.
Click here to watch a live stream of the nesting cranes.
Image courtesy of WWT
