Seagull Rescued After PVC Pipe Beating

CLEARWATER, FL — A seagull struck with a PVC pipe early Tuesday morning is under care at a local animal sanctuary while the man accused of harming the creature faces criminal charges.

According to Clearwater Police, a witness called officers out to the 1400 block of North Betty Lane around 7:30 a.m. Feb. 14 after Kenneth Craddock allegedly hit the bird with a PVC pipe. Craddock was charged with animal cruelty while the injured bird was taken to the Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife in Odessa for care.

The seagull was doing about as well as could be expected Tuesday afternoon, said Kris Porter, director of Owl’s Nest. Porter said the bird has a broken right wing; the extent of damage won’t be known until the morning. The critter will be tended to by the veterinary team at Busch Garden’s Tampa Bay, Porter said.

“(I’m) hoping it’s a small fracture,” Porter said, adding that seagull wings are especially fragile.

Owl’s Nest and the Clearwater Police Department also worked together to save a bald eagle that was found injured along Countryside Boulevard back in October 2016. The eagle was initially taken to Owl’s Nest for treatment of an injury to its right wing. It was later transferred to Busch Gardens where the park’s Animal Care Center veterinarians dove into help. Vets at Busch Gardens performed surgery to repair the bird’s broken wing, said Karen Varga-Sinka.

The eagle stayed under the watchful eye of Busch Gardens’ animal care staff before she was moved back to the Owl's Nest to complete her recovery, Varga-Sinka added.

The eagle was set free at Lake Chautauqua Park Nov. 29.

For more information about the Owl's Nest, visit its Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department