On Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a
four-day-old baby barn owl -- a fateful encounter that would turn
into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing,
the owlet's ability to fly was forever compromised, and he had no
hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, a young
assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately
smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a
permanent home. Wesley the Owl is the funny, poignant story of
their dramatic two decades together.
With both a tender heart and a scientist's eye, O'Brien studied
Wesley's strange habits intensively and first-hand -- and provided
a mice-only diet that required her to buy the rodents in bulk
(28,000 over the owl's lifetime). As Wesley grew, she snapped
photos of him at every stage like any proud parent, recording his
life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent
to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, macho adult owl with a heart-shaped
face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature.
Stacey and Wesley's bond deepened as she discovered Wesley's
individual personality, subtle emotions, and playful nature that
could also turn fiercely loyal and protective -- though she could
have done without Wesley's driving away her would-be human
suitors!
O'Brien also brings us inside the prestigious research
community, a kind of scientific Hogwarts where resident owls
sometimes flew freely from office to office and eccentric,
brilliant scientists were extraordinarily committed to studying and
helping animals; all of them were changed by the animal they loved.
As O'Brien gets close to Wesley, she makes important discoveries
about owl behavior, intelligence, and communication, coining the
term "The Way of the Owl" to describe his inclinations: he did not
tolerate lies, held her to her promises, and provided unconditional
love, though he was not beyond an occasional sulk. When O'Brien
develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved
the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by
the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.
Enhanced by wonderful photos, " Wesley the Owl" is a thoroughly
engaging, heartwarming, often funny story of a complex, emotional,
non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love
and loyalty. It is sure to be cherished by animal lovers
everywhere.
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