In unlikely relationship, endangered herons seek out Chicago zoo's red wolves for protection

In unlikely relationship, endangered herons seek out Chicago zoo’s red wolves for protection

Small and stocky birds perch, hunched over, on the treetops and branches of Lake Okeechobee on the edge of Florida’s swampy Everglades for the better part of winter. The alligators swarming the murky waters below don’t faze the black-crowned night…

In unlikely relationship, endangered herons seek out Chicago zoo's red wolves for protection

Small and stocky birds perch, hunched over, on the treetops and branches of Lake Okeechobee on the edge of Florida's swampy Everglades for the better part of winter. The alligators swarming the murky waters below don't faze the black-crowned night herons—in fact, the birds count on them for protection. And when some fly away for the summer, they seek out other animals that can do the same.