It’s not often that a gray mass is seen wandering around a New York seaport. Nevertheless, that was precisely what some onlookers encountered one afternoon.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the creature was a distressed, injured animal. Wanting to assist but unsure of how to proceed, they decided to contact a professional for help.
Long Island animal rescuer, Karenlynn Stracher, received the urgent call about the animal in distress and promptly jumped into her car, hurrying to the location.
A Concerning Injury
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Karenlynn wasted no time. She quickly identified the gray-feathered creature as a type of seabird known as a seagull.
For this compassionate rescuer, however, the foremost concern was that the bird was injured; it had a broken wing. With her experience, Karenlynn understood that this type of injury often came with dire implications.
Yet, as she got closer to the struggling bird, a stroke of luck emerged: the gull was moving its wings, a sign that was far from typical for such an injury.
However, she could not accurately assess the injury until she captured the bird in a net for a thorough examination. It’s challenging to determine the extent of an injury without a hands-on approach.
This motivated the seasoned rescuer to grab her net and spring into action.
The Young One is in Good Hands
Although Karenlynn had encountered numerous similar situations, it took her some time to successfully catch this bird. Eventually, she achieved her goal.
Upon conducting a closer examination, her heart sank when she discovered that the seagull was still quite young, likely born just the previous spring.
“Another baby,” Karenlynn remarked in a TikTok video documenting the rescue. “I dislike witnessing this happen to the little ones.”
On the upside, its injuries were not as severe as initially thought, and best of all, it was now in safe hands.
Soon after capturing the gull, Karenlynn contacted her colleagues at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, New York, who agreed to take over its care.
With the help of compassionate individuals, this young seagull is expected to recover and soon soar over the mesmerizing blue waters where it truly belongs.
