The crane attacked potential mates. But then she fell for her keeper

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the great interspecies love stories of our time has come to an end.

Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has passed away at age 42. She is survived by eight chicks, the loving staff at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and by Chris Crowe, a human zookeeper whom Walnut regarded as her mate for nearly 20 years.

“Walnut was a unique individual with a vivacious personality,” Crowe said, in a statement released by the National Zoo. “I’ll always be grateful for her bond with me.”

The tale of Walnut (and Chris) has inspired internet fame and the occasional love song. It dates back to the bird's 2004 arrival at the institute's campus in Front Royal, Virginia.