It’s not every day you come across something unusual by the New York seaport, but that’s exactly what happened when a few people noticed a strange, gray shape stumbling near the water. Curious, they took a closer look and were surprised to find an injured bird. Unsure of what to do, they did the right thing — they called someone who knew how to help.
That call went out to Karenlynn Stracher, a devoted animal rescuer from Long Island. As soon as she got the alert, she didn’t waste a second. She jumped into her car and headed straight to the scene, ready to help the helpless creature in need.
A Serious Injury and a Glimmer of Hope
When Karenlynn reached the parking lot by the sea, her eyes quickly locked onto the gray figure — it was a seagull. The bird looked lost and hurt, wandering around with feathers ruffled and movements unsteady. Karenlynn’s heart sank when she realized the bird had a broken wing. She knew this kind of injury could mean the bird might never fly again.
But as she watched more closely, something surprising happened. The seagull was managing to move both wings — a rare and promising sign for a bird thought to be so badly hurt. Still, she couldn’t rely on appearances. To truly understand how bad the injury was, she had to get close and feel it for herself.
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A Young Life in Good Hands
Determined to help, Karenlynn grabbed her net and moved in carefully. Though she had been in many similar situations before, this little guy gave her a bit of a chase. After a few tries, she finally managed to catch him and take a closer look.
That’s when she realized he was just a baby — likely born only the spring before. Seeing such a young bird in pain broke her heart.
“Another baby,” Karenlynn said in a TikTok video featuring the rescue. “I hate when this happens to the babies.”
Thankfully, the damage wasn’t as bad as she first feared. Most importantly, he was now safe and in caring hands.
A Bright Future Ahead
Once the bird was secure, Karenlynn reached out to her friends at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, New York. They gladly agreed to take over his care and help him heal fully. With the kindness of people like Karenlynn and the team at Sweetbriar, the seagull was given a second chance.
Now, all hopes rest on his recovery. With a bit of time and love, he’ll hopefully be strong enough to take to the skies again — soaring over the ocean waves where he truly belongs.
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