This may be of interest - Vince.


Crane School' established at WWT Slimbridge to train new generation
of wild cranes in Britain

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre has today opened the doors to Crane
School. Six Eurasian Crane chicks will be reared with the minimum of
human interaction so they can go on to train future generations of
wild cranes as part of a major reintroduction programme.
WWT Slimbridge's Crane School is part of The Great Crane Project, a
new partnership between Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, the RSPB and
WWT, supported by founding sponsor Jordans Cereals. The project aims
to re-establish a breeding population of cranes in Britain, securing
its future as a breeding species.

As it is crucial the young cranes learn how to behave as if they were
in the wild, staff at WWT Slimbridge will be rearing the chicks using
crane costumes and crane heads made out of litter pickers so the
birds don't become too accustomed to humans. Visitors will be able to
view the cranes through camouflage netting and anyone who enters
Crane School must wear a specially designed crane costume.
The young cranes will be taken for a walk through the marsh garden
throughout the day and taught key crane behaviours. Here, the chicks
will learn how to feed, recognise and protect themselves from
predators, and interact with their brothers and sisters to find their
place amongst the other cranes. Twice a day a small group of visitors
will be able to play a key role in this vital stage of the project,
by dressing up as cranes themselves and joining our experts as they
teach the cranes how to survive in the wild.

Further eggs will be brought to WWT Slimbridge in 2008 and 2009 where
these six will teach the newly hatched chicks how to be cranes in
preparation for their reintroduction into the wild in 2009. A
decision on the reintroduction sites is expected later this year.

Cranes in the UK
Cranes have actually been breeding in Norfolk for many years, though
the site has been kept a secret.
They have also recently moved back into the fens after a 400 year
absence.
Pensthorpe Conservation trust has been breeding cranes in captivity
for some time, and opened a new cranery earlier in 2007.

REf:www.wildlifeextra.com/crane-school.html