Owls are not typically known for having relationships with humans. Being nocturnal creatures, they hunt at night and tend to sleep during the daytime hours inside of their favorite tree. Even if they are out and about, they will stay hidden, surveying those around them but rarely interacting. There quiet, conspicuous nature is what makes this story so unique.
Gigi, an injured great horned owl, was brought to the Wild at Heart Rescue center in Mississippi. Gigi had some extensive head trauma that they speculate was caused by a car. Her rescuer Douglas Pojeky spent countless hours nursing Gigi back to health. He painstakingly fed her a raw diet to increase her strength. He stroked her feathers and spoke softly to her to keep her calm. While Douglas has bonded will many animals at the rescue over the years, his relationship with Gigi was certainly a special case.
Around the rescue Douglas is often referred to as the “birds of prey whisperer” for his ability to connect to those injured and frightened animals. No one understood the connection that he had with Gigi until Douglas took some days off for a trip to Michigan.
The day Douglas arrived back he made sure to visit his friend. As soon as Gigi saw that he had come back, she actually began dancing around, her excitement apparent.
Douglas picked up Gigi. What she did next was not only amazing but reaffirms that people and animals can form life-long trusting bonds with each other. This great horned owl, who is not typically known for interacting with humans, was not only excited to see Douglas, but she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder in a hugging embrace to show him how much he had been missed.
The rescue center workers, who had nursed many animals back to health over the years, could not believe their eyes. They knew that Douglas was a special man, and they understood he had a gift for bonding with the animals. They never could have imagined Gigi would have reacted the way she did upon his return.