Owl Embraces the Man Who Saved Her Life

When GiGi the great horned owl was found in the wild with a severe head injury, she was taken to the Wild at Heart Rescue Center in Vancleave, Mississippi.

There, she would form a relationship with a man that would change her life.

According to The Dodo, the owl had a concussion, parasites all over her body, and aspergillosis, a respiratory disease found in birds. Rescuers think she may have been hit by a car.

Missy Dubuisson, founder and director of Wild at Heart, told the DoDo that GiGi was in such critical condition that rescuers are amazed she survived at all.

Her incredible rehabilitation, though, is thanks to Doug Pojeky, who is also called by staff as “the birds of prey whisperer.”

GiGi made an amazing recovery while under the care of Pojeky. She went from being hand fed, to eating her own food and gained back the weight she lost.

But when Pojeky went on a trip to Michigan for a while, the impact he made on GiGi became obvious.

After Pojeky returned, GiGi bounced up and down excitedly before climbing up to his chest, spreading her wings, and resting her head on his shoulder for what’s being called a “bird hug.”

It’s hard not to recognize the look on her face as one of pure ease and contentment.

Once GiGi is fully recovered, she will be released back into the wild, but we’re pretty sure she will never forget her new best friend.