A passerby saw an injured crane on a roadside in Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu state, south India on March 30. <br /><br />The bird was found with a lump in its throat, slumped on the ground, apparently in extreme agony. <br /><br />A few animal lovers took the bird to Dr K. Ashok, a veterinarian at a government clinic, who quickly diagnosed the problem. <br /><br />He placed the bird on a table and made it open its mouth, and then extracted a fish that was struck deep inside its throat. <br /><br />They were astonished to find the fish pierced with a nail, which had a string attached it. <br /><br />The rescuers said a poacher had probably tied the fish with a string and used it as bait to catch the crane. <br /><br />The crane had swallowed the fish and then realised that it was trapped. It had then struggled to break itself free and fly away after managing to snap the string. <br /><br />But the fish and the nail stuck in its throat had caused excruciating pain and the bird had slumped to the ground when it was rescued. <br /><br />After the cruel bait was removed at Dr Ashok's clinic, the crane recovered quickly and flew away.
