Adopt A Whooper is program of Friends of Patuxent to support research, education, and interpretive programs of the Patuxent Whooping Crane Project.
The Whooping Crane is one of America's most endangered species.
In the early 1940's, fewer than 25 Whooping Cranes existed.
In 1967, wildlife biologists collected 12 eggs from the wild to start a captive breeding colony at what is now the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland.
Each year Patuxent raises an average of 25 chicks and releases 90% of them into wild populations.
Patuxent's research and propagation programs are vital to saving these birds from extinction.
Watch a video on Whooping Cranes
