Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
by Stacey O'Brien

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
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Book Summary Information

Author: Stacey O'Brien
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-19
ISBN: 1416551735
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Free Press
Product features:

Book Reviews of Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

Book Review: Educational and Entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars

I never really thought much about barn owls. I assumed that, like other wild birds, they flew around, ate mice, and hung around in barns. Surely they weren't very intelligent. My understanding of these beautiful birds completely changed when I read Wesley the Owl.

In this amazing story, author Stacey O'Brien describes the 19 years that Wesley lived with her. The remarkable owl came into O'Brien's life at the tender age of four days. O'Brien, a biologist, was working in the owl research lab at CalTech when her supervisor asked if she'd be willing to adopt a fledgling (baby) barn owl with an injured wing. Fortunately, O'Brien had experience with owls and had the full support and assistance of others working at CalTech. Raising an owl is a lot of work!

O'Brien recounts Wesley's infancy, adolescence and adulthood, all the while inserting sweet stories of how the two, human and owl, bonded over time. At first, Wesley treated O'Brien as his mother and was friendly to others, including the household dog. But as he grew, the handsome owl began to see O'Brien as his mate and challenged all others. O'Brien also includes mention of her early attempts at securing a steady supply of mice, dealing with the unpleasant necessities of prepping said mice for Wesley and reactions of others to her unusual housemate (including short lived boyfriends who couldn't get over the strange demands Wesley made of O'Brien).

The author inserts just enough background information on barn owls to be interesting without lulling the reader to sleep. Facts on these birds are spread out between the various chapters and include tidbits such as a barn owl's ability to find a mouse under three feet of snow by listening to its heartbeat. Other facts, such as barn owls dislike of water is disproven by Wesley who developed a deep love of the bathtub. Well-written, engaging, and entertaining, this book is sure to be enjoyed by animal lovers.

Quill says: A fascinating and touching story about a young scientist and her owl.

Summary of Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

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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