3 whooping cranes raised in New Orleans learning to be wild

GUEYDAN, La. (AP) — Three young endangered whooping cranes raised in New Orleans are learning about life in the wild. But a fourth got a fatal lesson about its difficulty. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says four males were released Nov. 10 in southwest Louisiana, but a predator killed one a few days later. Department biologist Sara Zimorski says it’s hard to say what kind of animal got the bird, named Blizzard by staffers at the Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans. The department says the three other youngsters bring Louisiana’s flock to 73. They were originally named Hurricane, Lava and Aurora, but will now be known as L2-21, L3-21 and L4-21.