78 On the trail of vanishing birds 



tions within states on either side of the route and to many others. 

 Pictures of whooping cranes and mats for newspaper use were 

 distributed and movie film and stills made available for TV show- 

 ing (some networks showed the full ten-minute film to TV audi- 

 ences as far away as Florida ) . State game commissions ran feature 

 stories in their regular periodicals, and some states, Nebraska for 

 example, carried pictures and a "Don't Shoot This Bird!" warning 

 on the back cover of their state game laws, or on the backs of hunt- 

 ing licenses. Texas alerted their game wardens along the route and 

 got out special publicity. An Audubon educational leaflet was 

 printed and distributed to school children. Civic groups, local 

 Audubon Societies, garden clubs, sportsmen's organizations, Scout 

 and Campfire groups, farm clubs, and many others responded with 

 widespread publicity advertising the urgency of the situation and 

 asking for caution among all those who went afield with a gun. 



As a result, for the first time since 1949 and for only the fifth 

 year on record, the flock came out of Canada and crossed the United 

 States to its sanctuary in Texas without a single loss. Our reaction, 

 quite naturally, was one of elation and vast relief, but we knew that 

 this was not really a victory, but only a temporary truce. Actually, 

 the battle had just begun. 



