An unusual story was told by wildlife photographer Viktar Kazlouski. It happened near Maladzyechna, in the yard of his friend Anatol, writes the Telegram channel "Wild Nature Nearby".
Illustrative photo. Photo by Aliaksei Karpenka
A wounded grey crane chick came into Anatol's yard several years ago. By 2024, the chick had grown into a beautiful adult male, whose calls from the sky brought down a wild female who stayed with him for the summer.
But in the first autumn, the female joined a flock of her relatives and flew south for winter. However, in the spring of 2025, she returned! The birds performed mating dances and once again stayed together for the entire summer.
In autumn, the cranes only responded to the calls of relatives flying by. The pair remained to winter together.
This winter, frosts near Maladzyechna reached -34°C. The male would hide in a warm barn at night, while his female friend slept outside on a small pile of hay. In the morning, he would run out to her, and they spent the whole day together. The owner fed the female crane corn and defrosted sprats.
This spring, a flock of 12 grey cranes flew over Anatol's yard. They responded to the pair's calls and landed. The birds chatted among themselves, and the flock flew on, but the female remained. Now we will wait to see if the pair will have chicks.
This story is a wonderful example of loyalty in the wild.
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