This beautiful owl, sustained significant head trauma in what experts presume was a car crash, luckily passes by spotted the injured bird and called a nearby animal rescue Clinic to help save the poor owl Wild at Heart. A rescue clinic in Mississippi was able to respond to the call the clinic took in Gigi and assessed her wounds. They were shocked that the owl was still alive, given the extent of the damage she sustained Gigi had a huge concussion from the impact of being hit by the vehicle. She also had a few infections and was hosting several parasites to make matters worse. The owner of Wild at Heart, Clinic a woman named Missy Deboerson, assigned her top employee to the task of caring for Gigi Doug Pajecki leapt into action, knowing that a life was on the line and not a second could be wasted.
Unfortunately, given the extent of Gigi’s trauma, both Missy and Doug thought she would pass away, but that did not deter these animal experts from trying their hardest to rescue Gigi. The healing work was painstaking and Gigi’s recovery was very slow. She lost a pound of weight, which was roughly a fifth of her total body weight, but something beautiful started happening as Gigi slowly started to recover. She formed a real bond with Doug, as it became clearer that he was there to help her. She opened up and accepted the aid.
Missy said that the trust that Gigi has for Doug is evident in her behavior and Body Language. Seeing Gigi’s progress, both Doug and Missy, realized that they may have actually done it. They recovered a life that they thought was past. The point of being saved Missy described the experience as incomprehensible. She said that Gigi was in the most critical condition she had ever seen at her practice.
Well, I guess everyone was lucky that she and Doug were there. You see around the clinic. Doug has the nickname the birds of prey Whisperer because of his long-standing reputation, working well with larger Birds. Predatory Birds such as owls are typically very difficult to care, for, as they are prone to cantankerous Behavior. Imagine trying to help an animal and having it bite, scratch and attack you in return.
It takes a special kind of person to have the patience, kindness and selflessness to care for these animals. Doug is one such person. In fact, his wife work was so widely admired that he was promoted to president of the Wild at Heart, rescue Clinic together, Missy and Doug, set out to ensure the owl’s full recovery for Missy. The experience of seeing Doug at work was affirming and inspiring. She said she had never before in her career.
Seen someone with the ability to interact with birds of prey like Doug. Has it’s a good thing? Doug had so much practice before Gigi arrived at the clinic. The full range of his expertise was needed to both keep Gigi alive and to help her down the road of recovery. Eventually, the horned owl started to perk up with Doug’s help.
She was able to feed herself again at first. She could only eat food out of Doug’s hand, but over the coming weeks she re-learned how to pick up her own food. This was a victory in and of itself, but Doug’s goal for complete Rehabilitation of the animal would require even more work. Another major milestone in Gigi’s recovery was when she was able to stand up on her and again at this Benchmark. It was becoming clear that Gigi was on track to make a full recovery.
As Missy said, the owl went from death’s doorstep to perching, with Gigi’s condition. Stabilizing Doug took a short trip out of town to visit family in Michigan Doug left Gigi in Missy’s, capable hands and promised to return soon, but as soon as he left Mississippi for Michigan Gigi Spirits dropped, her recovery slowed and she seemed more irritable and dissatisfied at The rescue Clinic the clinic employees, found the change in Gigi’s. Disposition directly corresponded with Doug’s absence. It was clear, Gigi missed her new friend Gigi got her name given her massive size. It is a play on the word gigantic and it caught on very quickly through the rescue Clinic with Doug gone other Clinic employees worked with Gigi.
They all noticed that the owl was slightly hostile and none of them could manage to establish a connection with her. That relationship is what made Dax return to work so meaningful. It truly was a Kodak moment when Gigi saw Doug had returned brace yourself. Her reaction just might bring a tear to your eye. Gigi began dancing when she saw Doug at the rescue Clinic as she was his first priority on Doug’s first day back at work.
He immediately set out to give the horned owl an examination and check on her progress as he drew nearer. She got more excited. He took her out of her cage and she bounced around on his arm bobbing her head and doing a little happy dance. Then, in a move that is drastically out of character for a bird of her species, Gigi moved to Doug’s chest and laid her head on his shoulder. In this absolutely beautiful moment, Doug was unsure of what to do.
He embraced the horned owl back until she spread her wings to give him a full-on hug. It is no wonder that the heartwarming images of Doug and Gigi’s reunion swept the Internet by storm in the following days. We are all fortunate that pictures were taken of this fairy tale-like encounter so that we can share in the majesty and beauty of the moment. Our experts on the internet were baffled by the hug stating how out of character, that is, for a horned owl, especially one of Gigi’s maturity. What an incredible experience soon after those owl hug photos went viral on the internet, Doug came out and explained just how profound that moment was for him.
Doug said that when he was a child, an owl of the same breed used to live on the roof of his family Barn. Apparently, this great horned owl was rather elusive and it was sometimes hard to Spot It perched Up On The Farmhouse Doug’s father, however, had a Keen Eye and was most frequently able to spot the animal if he saw the owl, he would stop and point it out To the children Doug said encountering, the owl was a rare occasion for everyone in his family, except his father, Doug father seemed to have a special connection with this bird, seeing it often over the years. Sadly, Doug’s father has since passed away. Doug recalls the day of his father’s death. He said that the very same owl from his childhood made an appearance at the family farm that day, the owl shared a moment with the family made eye contact with Doug and then flew away, never to be seen again.
With that in mind, it is perhaps understandable that Doug’s connection with another great horned, owl Gigi meant so much to him. Hugging Gigi made Doug think of his dad. He reported teary-eyed what an absolutely profound encounter. It really makes one think of the magical coincidences we get. The privilege of experiencing here on Earth with animals, moments of kindness and generosity that surpass species just amazing and just when you think things can’t get any sweeter.
Gigi did something that brought tears to the eyes of the entire rescue Clinic a few months after her heartwarming hug, with Doug Gigi healed to the point of a full recovery. This meant that the time had come to return her back to the wild feeling bittersweet. Her Rescuers brought her back to where she was found some two hours north of the Wild at Heart, rescue clinic and prepared to say their goodbyes. But things didn’t go exactly. According to their plan, you see Gigi had a different idea.
Gigi was released from her cage and set free by Doug and Missy. They watched her fly up high into the sky, but, to their surprise, she didn’t immediately fly away, as other owls would have done. Instead, she circled above them glancing back at them periodically that’s when they realized that Gigi did not want to leave them her new family. Her hesitancy to leave proved to Doug that he had made a true connection with her and that it was something he will hold on to Forever Birds of Prey Whisperer indeed, but the animal experts had a job to finish so focused on waving goodbye to Gigi. They urged her to move on and after one final look, she was gone.
