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

Product Details

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.

Product Reviews

(4 stars) - A must for animal lovers
Not many of us have the opportunity to gain insight
into the animal creations around us. Stacy's experience is both valuable and heartwarming.
P.Klohr

(5 stars) - A Remarkable and Touching Story
The title rather says it all. O'Brien is an engaging author, trained as a biologist specializing in wild animal behavior. Her writing reveals her to be intelligent, and her many photos show her to be attractive. But she's quirky, in the most delightful way. We meet her on Valentine's Day in 1985 when she was then a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech. She becomes immediately besotted upon meeting a four-day-old barn owl who has suffered nerve damage in one wing, meaning that he would be unable to fly and survive on his own in the wild. She adopts him and takes him home, beginning what is truly a love story between two species. The book jacket tells us, "with both a tender heart and a scientist's eye, O'Brien studied Wesley's strange habits intensively and firsthand--and provided a mice-only diet that required her to buy the rodents in bulk (28,000 over the owl's lifetime) . . . [snapping] photos of him at every stage like any proud parent." Thus she is able to build up a remarkable, and very personal, chronicle supplemented by her audiotaping his various calls and cries. As it turns out, he decides that she is his mate and she allows him to, uh, play on her arm. When she plays her tape of Wesley's orgasm to her Caltech professor and peers, they are delighted but she is ready to sink into the floor as she has to describe what that "strange noise" is all about. And she is surprised by a gang of tough teens in the pre-dawn hours as they catch her trying without success to toss mice to a family of wild owls up high. She thinks they may harm her, but when she explains what she is trying to do the boys with the stronger throwing arms join in with enthusiasm and the encounter ends in high-fives all around. These humorous snapshots light up the book. But, wait, there is more . . .

Wesley teaches O'Brien "The Way of the Owl," meaning that he did not tolerate lies, held her to her promises, provided unconditional love, and learned a few phrases of English. She in turn strengthened her own moral code out of admiration for his, and learned to understand his language. But in her late thirties she was stricken with a benign-but-inoperable brain tumor that resulted in a stroke. Subsequently disabled to some degree, she didn't want to be a burden to others and even considered suicide. But Wesley needed her and she decided that she could not desert him, lest he die of shock and grief or be mistreated by others. Thus she was able to spend his entire life with him until he expired from liver cancer at the age of 19, equivalent to a 120-year-old human who had survived that long entirely due to O'Brien's loving care. He died in her arms and she hopes to be reunited with him in the afterlife. My wish for this remarkable woman is that she find a human mate comparable to Wesley, as she deserves nothing less. Five stars for this wonderful book.

(4 stars) - Amazing dedication to a delightful creature...
This highly detailed account of Stacey's life with Wesley the Owl was mesmerizing in all of its beauty - and its burdens - as taking care of an owl is nothing like any of us cat and dog lovers have ever experienced. Thank goodness for Stacey's background and job, as no one should take on the care of a wild creature without really knowing all about what will be expected.

I think many of us will start this book and love it for the fantasy is conjures up of finding a tiny wild owl and nursing it back to life. But Stacey took care of Wesley for NINETEEN YEARS! Nineteen years of doing the most unbelievable things to keep Wesley comfortable and safe. Taking care of an owl is not for the faint of heart - or for those who just think it might be fun! This book is quite the lesson of love and dedication that is necessary to take on such a huge responsibility. Granted, the joys were many and losing Wesley was like losing an arm - as so much of Stacey's life revolved around him.

You will enjoy this book - it gets a little technical and biological - and may tell you 'way more than you ever really needed to know about owls. But, if you are an animal lover and covet the idea of bringing that seal home that's stranded on the beach, or raising that bear cub that keeps knocking over your garbage can, this is definitely the read for you!

(5 stars) - Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
An absolutely wonderful story written with an obvious love for this little creature. It is the king of story that stimulates the entire range of human emotion. It is a must read for all animal lovers especially youngsters.

(5 stars) - Great, A joy to read, I could not put this book down!
This is a wonderful book for animal lovers, or anyone who wants to read a light-hearted and easy to follow read. I read this book in three nights and enjoyed every page. I honestly don't believe you'll regret buying this book. It will make you smile.

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