Father Hupp WMA Still Temporarily Closed to Protect Whooping Cranes

LINCOLN – Father Hupp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) remains temporarily closed because of the presence of six endangered whooping cranes. The closure will be lifted once the cranes have left the area, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Father Hupp WMA is located 2½ miles west of Bruning in Thayer County.

The closure is a standard procedure for the Commission once whooping cranes are confirmed on a property owned or managed by the agency.

Whooping cranes are an endangered species and their wild population totals only about 300 individuals. Whooping cranes are protected by both the federal Endangered Species Act and the Nebraska Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act. Penalties for killing, possessing, or harassing whooping cranes or other species protected under these laws may include fines of up to $50,000, up to year in jail, or both.