Internet-Famous “Carl The Crane” Is Saved Thanks To Efforts Of Tireless Rescuers.

He’s a sandhill crane named Carl — and the internet loves him. 

User healthyish.autumn on Tiktok has chronicled the antics of Carl the sandhill crane and his family. Carl lives in Autumn’s neighborhood and frequents her yard, and hundreds of thousands of people watched along with her as Carl raised his son Kevin this year. 

So when Carl was in trouble, Autumn knew she had to get him help. 

Autumn noticed one day that Carl was limping, and upon closer inspection, she realized that he had fishing line wrapped around his foot. The fishing line was thoroughly tangled and cutting off the circulation, making walking difficult for Carl. 

Monofilament fishing line is designed to last and is quite difficult to break. It is an incredibly common cause of entanglement for shorebirds and other animals. Unfortunately for Carl, the fishing line simply wasn’t going to come off on its own. 

So Autumn called the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay for help. 

Their resident “sandhill crane whisperer,” Lynn, spent hours lying with Carl and his family to gain their trust, even braving pouring rain without budging. Finally, after hours of waiting, Lynn successfully caught Carl without needing any sedatives or nets. 

Lynn was able to remove all of the entangled fishing line from Carl’s foot. After removing the line, she cleaned the wound, gave him a dose of antibiotics and some electrolytes, and reunited him with his family. 

Carl’s condition improved immediately. His limp lessened significantly once she removed the fishing line and continued to improve. In her latest update, Autumn shows Carl’s foot almost entirely healed. 

She also explains a few common questions people have about Carl. Autumn doesn’t feed Carl or pet him, as sandhill cranes are a protected species. She does, however, allow him and his family safe haven in her yard and keeps a watchful eye over the group. 

Autumn is a wonderful example of how we should all respect the wildlife around us and provide assistance when needed. Because of her quick response to Carl’s entanglement, he was able to heal quickly and return to his family, but other animals might not be so lucky. 

If you ever encounter injured wildlife, please contact the closest wildlife rehabilitator for help. They can provide you with guidance on how to proceed.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.