Crane with a broken beak was starving and suffering in Florida. See its ‘slick’ rescue
A crane in Florida is getting a second shot at life thanks to a recent well-executed rescue.
According to a Facebook post from Wild Florida Rescue nonprofit, a sandhill crane in Vero Beach was seen with an injured beak for weeks and “starving,” unable to eat.
Video on the organization’s page shows a rescue worker approaching the bird, which is cowering in someone’s garage. “Chazz” is able to corner the crane and snag it with a hoop net.
It’s unclear whether the bird will survive with its lower beak in bad shape, but “he is not out there starving slowly anymore,” says the post. “Such a tough case but so grateful he has been taken in.”
These elegant birds are named after the Sandhills near the Platte River in Nebraska, where many fly during spring migration, according to the National Park Service. They are known for their large wingspans — and long beaks.
Commenters commended the job well done (“Wow, that was slick!”), and some people even had suggestions for its care going forward:
“Hopefully, someone with 3D printer skills can craft a new beak for this guy and some skilled surgeons can make it work,” one commenter wrote.
Last month, veterinarians at ZooTampa replaced a great hornbill’s cancerous beak with a custom-designed, 3D-printed prosthetic.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 3:47 PM.
