My Baby
So, recently, my family had found a hurt baby bird on the ground in my backyard. Her nest is over 20 feet up in the trees, so we couldn't return her back to her nest. We didn't have much to keep her in, so we used a pot! My parents went to the store to get some worms and bedding for the baby bird. She didn't have very many feathers.
I gave her some drops of water through a syringe. My parents were leaving to Las Vegas the next day, so I was worried about taking care of her by myself. But my best friend Savannah also helped me out :) Zazu usually only falls asleep in your hands, or on your chest. She also likes having her back rubbed while she sleeps.
photo taken by me @poeticangel
This picture was taken about 4 days ago, and she has a lot more feathers than she did before. She also got much bigger. She used to be half the size of an egg, and grew to about the size of a whole egg and a half! I got to hand feed her, and I will never forget how cool it was to feed a little baby bird!!!
It was such an amazing experience. Savannah and I took time to teach her how to hold on to things with her talons, which was kind of a struggle because her right leg was hurt. Probably from falling from such a high level. But, she learned on grasping to my fingers. I also taught her how to hop up onto my hand on command. I felt so good! I was saving her life step by step. She later on learned she could use her wings to balance. She stretched her wings open wide, and practiced flapping them. She was doing SO GOOD!!!
photo taken by me @poeticangel
I made her a little nest so she felt more at home. She was gaining a lot of trust in me, and we developed a special bond. I always sang her the nursery song, "You are my Sunshine" and she fell asleep to it every single time. She snuggled up to me and stared into my eyes and fell asleep. Everything was so great! I was raising a baby bird, and I was so proud of everything I was teaching her. We even did a little photo shoot!! This next picture of her, "she wrote" a little note about herself! It says "Zazu is coolest bird ever!"
photo taken by me @poeticangel
She was ALWAYS hungry! Especially around 6:20pm! That little bird can eat! She ate 12 of the big worms in around 4 days! She would always let me know when she was hungry, by chirping her little head off! I heard her chirp SO MUCH that at night, when I was trying to sleep, all I heard was her chirping! No matter where I was I always heard her little chirps!
She also pooped all over me a lot! The first time, I was pretty grossed out, but the next 3 or 4 times, I was kind of used to it! Haha! Then, she learned to hop off of me before she pooped, and then hop back up on to my hand after she finished. She gave me a lot of responsibility, and I loved it.
The day after my parents got back from their anniversary vacation, around 12pm, I went to the kitchen and sat down with my mom. Zazu wasn't eating, and she was having a very hard time with her leg. She also wasn't chirping at all, which was really strange. I was worried about her. I cuddled her for a second, and put her back in the pot with the bedding and stuff.
My mom and I were just talking about life. I was pretty hungry, so I got up to get some lunch. I noticed that Zazu hadn't made any noise at all for the last 15 minutes. I looked into the pot to check on her, and she was laying there, stiff and lifeless. I didn't believe what my eyes where seeing. I got this huge pit in my stomach. I felt as if I had just been punched in the stomach.
A few tears rolled down my cheeks, and I picked her up. I held her close and stared at her, hoping she would come back to life. I turned to my mom, tears rolling down my cheeks, with my baby bird in my hands. My mom looked at me confused why I was crying, and looked down and saw the cause. She said, "Oh no!" and she wrapped me up in her arms.
I held Zazu in my arms, while my mom held me in hers. I was so, so sad. I put Zazu back in the pot, excused myself, and went to the bathroom. I called Savannah, and told her the news. A few seconds later, she was at my door, with tears in her eyes. We both just cried. I was beyond grateful that Savannah had come over so quick. We just talked, and shared memories that we had with Zazu. Savannah and I decorated a cute litte box for Zazu's final resting place. We wrote little notes to Zazu, and put them in the box with her. After a little while, we buried Zazu in my backyard. It was so hard to say goodbye. After two and a half weeks with her, she was suddenly gone. We aren't exactly sure why Zazu passed away.
photo taken by me @poeticangel
I know that I did everything I could to save her life. And I do know that because of me, she lived longer than she would've. But I do really miss her, and her chirping. I am so glad I got these pictures of her before she passed away. She brought a lot of joy to my life, and I won't forget the memories I had with her. The next day, I had a dream, and I was slipping off the side of a mountain. Zazu came in and grabbed my shoulder, and flew back up so I didn't fall. I think her way of thanking me for saving her life, was showing up in my dream, and saving mine. That made me feel better about what had happened.
photo taken by me @poeticangel
In the end, I am so grateful for Zazu and our bond. I am so glad that I got to meet such an amazing baby bird, who brings joy into people's lives. There is no way anyone could meet her without a smile spreading across their face. She was a goofy little bird. I hope she has a great time up in birdy heaven!
Thank you so much for reading about Zazu! Is there a special pet with a special place in your heart? Tell me about them in the comment section! Have a great day!