Two charged in death of endangered whooping crane

There’s closure in the case of a matriarch whooping crane shooting thanks to a citizen tip. Authorities have charged Wade Bennett from Kayuga, Indianna and a juvenile in the case. Both were sentenced in Indiana State Court and received probation, fines and fees for their involvement in the shooting of one of the endangered birds. The crane was last seen alive by U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials in November of 2009. Whooping cranes, which migrate from Wisconsin to Florida each year, face huge challenges in the wild because of predators and disease and the threat of continued habitat loss. There are still no new developments in other shooting cases in Georgia and Alabama.