Brook-Falls vet hospital gives medical care to injured sandhill crane

Brook-Falls Veterinary Hospital and Exotic Care, Inc. works with the wildlife rehabilitation groups like the Wanakia Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. This past December an injured adult sandhill crane was taken to Brook-Falls.

After carefully examining the bird and taking x-rays, Brook-Falls veterinarian Dr. Molly Lien discovered a critical injury to its left shoulder and a dislocated left elbow, according to a press release. Unfortunately, because of the seriousness of the injuries, the crane cannot be released back to its natural habitat outside of Richfield, Wisconsin.

Even after the crane’s wing is healed, he will be unable to care for himself in the wild. Luckily, the staff at Wanakia was able to find a new home for the crane, which will be transported to a South Dakota zoo where he’ll live with other sandhill cranes in a large, safe enclosure as his forever captive home.

The Brook-Falls Veterinary Hospital recently prepared the crane for his upcoming travel adventure. Dr. Lien performed additional lab work, reassessed his injuries, and placed a microchip in him for the zoo to monitor his progress.