Ailing crane that became nuisance is on the mend

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An ailing sandhill crane that became a pest in a southern Indiana subdivision after being left behind by its flock is now on the mend at a wildlife rehabilitation center.

The crane was brought to WildCare Inc. near Bloomington six weeks ago from New Albany, where it had been begging residents for food since mid-May. WildCare staffers found it encrusted in insect urine called “honey dew” that falls from tulip poplars each summer.

Staffer Amanda Wrigley tells The Herald-Times the crane couldn't fly far because its left wing was heavily encrusted.

Wrigley says the once malnourished bird now “eats like a pig” and has fattened up. She plans to take it to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, where tens of thousands of sandhills gather each fall.