For this crane family, the raising of their young has just begun. And like many first-time parents, these crane parents learn through experience.
Features
TRANSCRIPT
- [Narrator] After a month of waiting, the eggs are beginning to hatch.
One of the colts has already emerged, but his sibling is not quite ready.
The thick crane egg has been slowly weakening as the tiny colt inside absorbs the shell's calcium into her young bones.
This process can take hours, and now that her first colt is out and ready to feed, Mom is anxious for colt number two.
She nudges the egg to break the rest of the shell.
And with a gentle assist, her second colt, still weak from its cramped quarters, is finally free.
Dad won't take any chances with visitors close by, but within a few hours, both colts are shakily on their feet.
Their first meal will be the pulverized eggs they lived in.
This will help them grow strong from the start.
The first hatched is quick to challenge his sibling.
Like many first-time parents, they learn through experience.
By feeding the colts separately, they avoid infighting and ensure they both get equal portions of food.
Foraging through the muddy nest for small worms and insects is a routine that comes more easily to some than others.
By the end of summer, these tiny colts will be as tall as their parents.
