Full transcript
0:01decorations for the nest.
0:04All right, honey. That's so beautiful.
0:09He was supposed to fly away and forget
0:10me. Instead, he became my partner and my
0:14best friend.
0:15>> I did. Look, I've got breakfast for you.
0:17What do you have,
0:20you little snake?
0:23Chappie came to us when he was still a
0:25tiny chick. He was brought to our
0:27rehabilitation center in Texas with a
0:30minor wing injury. It was a minor
0:32injury, but for a wild road runner, it
0:35could have been a death sentence. We
0:37took him in temporarily to nurse him
0:39back to health and release him.
0:41>> Hey,
0:44okay. You're wanting mom and Okay.
0:47>> I've been rehabilitating wild animals
0:49for over 30 years. It's my life. We care
0:53for them in difficult times. Restore
0:55their health and release them back into
0:57the wild. It's the law. It's the rule.
1:01It's my philosophy. And I've always
1:03followed it until Chappie. Do you have
1:06for mama? What is that? Oh, it's the
1:10covering.
1:12Honey, what? What a beautiful treasure.
1:18When his wing healed, I decided it was
1:20time. I opened the aviary and gave him a
1:23chance, but the next morning, he wasn't
1:26waiting for me in his cage or in a tree.
1:30He was on the hood of my car. He looked
1:32me straight in the eye and seemed to be
1:34smiling in a bird-like way. That's how
1:37it all started.
1:38>> Oh my goodness.
1:42That's beautiful, baby.
1:44>> Chappie became free. He hunted on his
1:47own. He got his own water. He decided
1:50where to be and where to go. He could
1:52fly anywhere, disappear for a whole day,
1:54sometimes even two. But almost every
1:57evening, he came home to me. I've
2:00>> got breakfast for you.
2:03>> He would sit on the porch or wait at the
2:06door as if he had known all along that
2:08this was his place. He wasn't tame. He
2:11wasn't domesticated. He was free, but
2:14truly close.
2:15>> Can you find me something to eat?
2:18Well, bring it.
2:21I'm hungry. Did you find me a snack?
2:25>> In the morning, he was the first to meet
2:26me at the door. He chattered
2:28incessantly, raised his wings, and
2:31wagged his tail like a dog. I had just
2:34left the house when I heard him say,
2:36"Were you waiting for me?" Of course you
2:38were waiting for me, my crazy boy. And
2:41that became our ritual.
2:43>> Okay, come on. What?
2:46What do you have? Oh my word.
2:50>> Then I noticed that he was bringing me
2:52gifts. Little sticks, leaves, sometimes
2:57something edible in his opinion. What
3:00did you bring for mommy? Thank you,
3:02baby. I smiled, took off my glasses, and
3:06accepted his trophies.
3:08Baby boy. Oh, that is a beautiful cross
3:13bookmark.
3:14He became part of my work, my colleague.
3:18Sometimes I caught myself thinking that
3:19he was helping me take care of other
3:21animals. He would bring a piece of food
3:24for a new baby. He would stay close by
3:27while I bandaged the wings of an injured
3:30owl. It was as if he considered himself
3:32part of the team. What are you doing?
3:38Sometimes it seemed to me that Chappie
3:39had come into my life for a reason, as
3:42if he had come to remind me of the most
3:44important thing. Even the wildest
3:47creatures can become closer than you
3:49could ever expect. They don't become
3:51tame. They don't turn into pets. They
3:54just start to trust. It's not about
3:56taming. It's about choice. Their choice
3:59to be close.
4:02When I released the animals, my heart
4:04always achd. Tears of joy and sadness,
4:08they always go together. Yesterday, I
4:10released Denver. I reached out my hand
4:12and he spread his wings with a light
4:14flap, free. And I knew everything was
4:18right. Some come back for a day, for an
4:22hour, as if just a check on you. Some
4:25flap their wings goodbye and disappear
4:27over the horizon, leaving only memories
4:29behind. And some stay forever, like
4:33Chappie. He wasn't supposed to stay. No
4:36one held him back. No one called him
4:38back. But he's here. Every morning, he
4:41greets me at the door. Every evening, he
4:44sits next to me. He's always there and
4:46free, but as if he were mine forever.
4:50Chappie taught me what decades of work
4:52didn't. Being there doesn't mean holding
4:54on. Caring doesn't mean restricting.
4:57Loving means letting go, but remaining
5:00important. If you like this story about
5:03Chappie, like it, write comments, and
5:05subscribe to the channel to see more
5:07touching stories. Before bringing an
5:09exotic pet into your home, be sure to
5:11consult with experts and learn about
5:13their specific needs. Proper research is
5:16the key to giving them the happy,
5:18healthy life they truly deserve.