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43 <br />conducted with captive - reared sandhill cranes (Nesbitt 1979, <br />Drewien et al. 1981, Zwank <br />and Derrickson 1981, Bizeau et al. 1987, Leach 1987, Zwank and Wilson 1987, Nesbitt <br />1988, Ellis et al. 1992, Urbanek and Bookhout 1992, Archibald and Archibald 1992, <br />Horwich et al. 1992, Nesbitt and Carpenter 1993), and additional releases are currently <br />underway or are being planned in order to refine reintroduction techniques for whooping <br />cranes. Soft or gentle releases involve the gradual transition from life in captivity to free - <br />ranging wild life. This involves the use of large fenced <br />are excluded. The cranes are oplaced Vin the <br />are provided and from which potential predators <br />enclosures and their wings brailed to prevent flight. After an appropriate acclimation period <br />the brailes are removed and the cranes can fly from the pen whenever they wish. <br />The final reports on the eastern study sites were submitted in the winter of 1987 -88 <br />(Bennett and Bennett 1987, Bishop 1988, Nesbitt 1988, McMillen 1987). In <br />on should be effort to of <br />1988, the recovery team recommended that the next re <br />establish a non - migratory population in the Kissimmee Prairie of Florida. The primary reason <br />the Team chose to endeavor to establish a non - migratory population instead of a migratory <br />population, was the failure of the cross- fostering technique in Idaho and the lack of any <br />tested technique to establish a migratory population. <br />Nonmigratory sandhill and whooping cranes occurred together in Louisiana (Mcllhenny <br />1943). Florida's population of non - migratory sandhill cranes is estimated to be between <br />4,000 and 6,000 individuals, with 8 percent to 16 percent juveniles in the annual <br />population. Florida has only a small number of wintering snow geese and no goose or crane <br />hunting, so hunting conflicts are unlikely. Florida, therefore, appears to be an appropriate <br />place to attempt to establish a nonmigratory flock of whooping cranes. <br />Bishop (l 988) recommended Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (WMA) <br />preferred release site. The Kissimmee Prairie consists of approximately 2, 000 square <br />kilometers of flat, open palmetto prairie interspersed rbeensconverted to improved pasture. Land On <br />private ranch lands, much of the prairie has <br />ownership includes 8 large ranches totaling range , 20955 he to 43 300 he and holdings <br />Three <br />from 2,700 ha to 42,500 ha. Public <br />Lakes WMA, the National Audubon Society's Ordway- Whittell Ki sim eSt. John's Re Prairie <br />erary <br />(2,955 ha), Kicco WMA (3,100 he), Bull Creek WMA (8,425 ha), <br />WMA had <br />WMA (24,800 he), and Avon Park Bombing Range 00 The Three t c The habitat on <br />been identified as the preferred site within Florida (Bishop 1988) <br />the 22,450 ha WMA lies between lakes Jackson and Kissimmee. <br />The Canadian Recovery Team endorsed the <br />Director General of Canadian IW Idl$e.Senrice'rector <br />of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the <br />pens <br />approved the project early in 1989. 0E During'1991 a 50 X'130 m release penlwas built on <br />were identified during summer 1. <br />the edge of Lake Jackson the most �a accessible <br />lake sites. <br />ate in 1992f Additional <br />pen (50 X 100m) located 200m f <br />pens may be built in the future, though none closer than 5 km from another. The release <br />pen conforms to what has been successfully used in releases of cranes at xhe Mississippi <br />Sandhill Crane NWR. <br />