AFTER a number of failed attempts over the past few years, WWT Slimbridge’s resident crane pair have successfully hatched two chicks.

The first chick was first spotted on Sunday whilst the second was seen on Tuesday.

Parents Ruby and Bart, both seven, were hand-reared in 2010 and released as part of the Great Crane Project, a partnership, which reintroduced nearly 100 cranes to the region.

The project’s aim is to restore cranes to their former haunts across the UK. They were heavily hunted and eventually driven to extinction when large areas of wetland were drained in the 1600s.

Ruby and Bart made their first attempt to breed in 2014 but failed to hatch either of their eggs and have since had more disappointment.

Martin McGill, WWT Slimbridge senior reserves warden said: “We’re absolutely delighted at Ruby and Bart’s success this year.

“Reserve staff and volunteers work hard to give them the perfect environment, including creating the shingle island last autumn, which the pair have chosen to nest on.

“The cranes worked tirelessly through torrential downpours to raise their volcano-like nest and protect it from flooding.”