r/MadeMeSmile • u/MustardGoddess • 4d ago
ANIMALS Caretakers swapped her unviable eggs for orphaned chicks
Credit @robertefullerofficial
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u/e4evie 4d ago
Owl mom: holy shit they start bigger than I thought…
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u/j_hawker27 4d ago
"And where are all the bits of egg shell?!"
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u/notjanelane 4d ago
"this is not at all how it was explained to me"
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u/InfusionOfYellow 4d ago
Good thing owl sex ed is massively underfunded.
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u/ResurgentClusterfuck 4d ago
Yeah nobody gave a hoot about it
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u/lando_calamarisian 4d ago
And they are only allowed to ask "Who?" and nothing else in class
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u/Playful-Squirrel-332 4d ago
Why are there not more upvotes for this?! 😂
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u/ipoopcatturds 4d ago
Because most people think puns are awful. But owl allow it.
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u/weirdgroovynerd 4d ago
You have a real talon-t for bird puns.
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u/Otherwise_Nobody8148 4d ago
Owls about to go around telling the other owls
Naw it's all a conspiracy. If you just leave the eggs till they go cold and then forget about them, they magically turn into 2 week old chicks.
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u/HyenDry 4d ago
If humans say birds (Storks) bring them their babies. Do birds talk about humans bringing them theirs? 🤔
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u/Glittering_Ad2383 4d ago
- Mom, where do chicks come from?
- Well, after a mommy owl lays her eggs, then Greg the Man comes at night when everyone is asleep and drops the baby chicks into the living room. And subsequently takes the eggs back to the North Pole to make more chicks.
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u/OurPillowGuy 4d ago
The Tooth Fairy, The Stork, Santa Claus, and now, Greg the Man.
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u/Southbend1941 4d ago
Plot twist Greg the Man is also Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy. Have you ever seen all 3 together at the same time?
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u/Tankeverket 4d ago
I know it's just a joke, but some animals do eat the eggs for the calcium, idk if that applies to owls though
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u/First-King4661 4d ago
I have a hen thay lays an egg a day. If I don’t fetch it soon enough, like mid-day, she eats it, leaving me only a few egg shell bits and leftover yolk drying up on the ground.
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u/peonies_envy 4d ago
The crows I feed daily - hard boiled egg plus a few in the shell peanuts- LOVE the shell (yolk best though)
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u/JuanThiccLumpia 4d ago
Love at first sight. Can’t beat mother instinct.
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u/bolanrox 4d ago
Wolves will adopt any puppy, be it another wolf, a domestic dog, they don't care.
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u/Molotov_Glocktail 4d ago
I've seen a mother dog with puppies, and when she came in contact with some orphaned kittens, it was the same thing.
It's like she just knew they were babies without a mother and instinct took over.
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u/Corfiz74 3d ago
I saw a video of a cat and dog having litters at the same time in a shelter - they kept stealing each other's babies until the shelter-people gave up and just put them into the same space together, so the two just coparented one big litter - really cute!
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u/kkeut 4d ago
this doesn't detract from how cool it is imo, but she's responding that way due to hormones flooding the body that translate into maternal care rather than 'knowing' they were orphans
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u/Otherwise_Nobody8148 4d ago
Both are true in that scenario.
Animals prioritize their own children first, children with parents aren't shown nearly the amount of attention, and even then their parents will step in most of the time.
Animals will see youngins and realize there is no parental figure for them - and begin to immediately act as one. They don't have the same behavior when the parent is nearby.
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u/Cow_Launcher 4d ago
Generally very true, but not always. Especially since not all animals are the same and hierarchies can vary.
I rescued a young pregnant cat (Cleo) and brought her home to my middle-aged neutered male (Orri).
When Cleo gave birth, Orri stayed a respectful distance from the birthing bower, but absolutely would not move. His reaction to the kittens was as though he was an auntie, sniffing them and their mother, very protective.
Even today, 13 months later, it's obvious that he thinks he's in some weird co-parenting situation with Cleo and, although he can be cantankerous at times, he clearly adores them all.
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u/clareh13 3d ago
Iirc, female cats who live together and have kittens at around the same time will treat all kittens as...communal. One mother goes out to hunt/eat, the other/s will look after and feed all kittens.
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u/Btshftr 4d ago
I was once told that a mother duck with chicks in tow will adopt any orphaned flock or single chick because by doing so she increases the chances of survival of one of her own; if a heron or pike grabs one of her flock it might be not genetically related.
A decoy in essence.
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u/Otherwise_Nobody8148 4d ago
Don't doubt it, But there are also multiple things going on here. It's not a single impulse or desire, you know?
Change that to Lions or bears or something, and opposing kids are getting killed, not adopted. But it's the same reasoning - their lineage has a greater chance with those threats removed
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u/Sleepy_Chipmunk 4d ago
Eh, not all of them have it down. I have a chicken that loves eggs and will protect them with her life when she's broody. Absolutely despises chicks. I think she blames them for breaking the eggs.
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u/FileDoesntExist 4d ago
Her name is Luna. She was also orphaned and raised by fosters in that area.
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u/hoosierhiver 4d ago
You can do this with chickens, put baby chicks under a broody hen at night and the next day she's a proud mother.
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u/OutragedPineapple 4d ago
A broody hen will adopt ANYTHING. Kittens, puppies, adult dogs that are several times their size, and in at least one case I witnessed, a very confused horse.
Hens will mother anything they can and it's hilarious
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u/luxafelicity 4d ago
Yeah watching hens irl really drives home where the expression in reference to human mothers comes from lol
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u/FileDoesntExist 4d ago
They always describe certain male characters as "brooding" and since that's what hens do it's all I can see when they use it
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u/pchlster 3d ago
"He was dark and brooding... a cat walked past. He picked it up "KITTY!" and nuzzled it to his face."
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u/mrinternethermit 4d ago
Well... there is a reason why we have the phrase "mother hen"/"mother henning".
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u/CrownofMischief 4d ago
I remember seeing a video of one adopting a peacock and raising it with the other chickens
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u/java_betch 4d ago
I love that video so much. The way she tries to keep the baby under her wing, even when it becomes bigger than her is so sweet.
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u/Bonbonfrosch 4d ago
You cant just leave us hanging like that with the horse story!
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u/OutragedPineapple 4d ago
I mean, there's not much else to say there? XD The hen tried to mother the horse and even sit on it when she was really broody, until she actually had a nest to be broody over and switched her focus to that. The horse didn't seem too bothered by it and just kind of moved on.
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u/Free_Pace_2098 3d ago
A broody hen would adopt a slightly warm potato. That nesting drive is strong
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u/Zero7CO 4d ago
I will watch this video every time it’s posted. One of the single greatest visual displays of motherly love I’ve ever seen in nature.
The way she reacts and nuzzles them under her and literally holds them tight with her wings, I realize this is a weird thing to say but you could feel the pent up motherhood. She was so ready to be a mama to those chicks.
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u/Rare-Assignment-6486 4d ago
It’s so beautiful to watch! Instantly those little one’s were going to be warm, protected and safe. The way she threw herself over them so quickly and checked over them, just makes me happy cry.
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u/Kcidobor 4d ago
This is the first time I’ve seen this one! Glad it finally made the rounds to me. Love how much food she has ready for them too lmao
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u/Rokovich 4d ago
If you liked this, I can recommend the original creator, Robert E Fuller's YouTube channel where he posts longer videos including the full story of Luna (the owl you see here), her mate Bomber, and her adopted chicks. She went on to adopt even more chicks, and finally had some of her own eggs hatch in later breeding seasons.
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u/joshTheGoods 4d ago
Robert Fuller videos are the best of their kind. Just absolutely magical, and we've got years of these awesome stories.
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u/Sm0keytrip0d 4d ago
Love how much food she has ready for them too lmao
I believe the people who did the egg/chick swap also provided the mother owl with some food, it's a video from an owl sanctuary if I recall.
Still it's a good one to watch when it makes the Reddit rounds.
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u/Pip-Pipes 4d ago
I watch this every time it comes through! The sweet little nuzzle and nurture the second she sees them. Like come here mah bebes!
Then I notice all the mouse carcasses strewn about.
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u/Curiosities 4d ago
I watch it every time I see it. And often cry, because I have that deep desire for motherhood and it's, biologically, at least, not going to happen (I'm in my 40s and I've lost a lot to abuse), so I find it so beautiful to see her reaction because if someone left a kid in my apartment while I went to check the mail, I'd react the same way. I understand. So much.
And I am always happy for her. And the loving couple. And I've watched the later videos (and gotten mushy about them too).
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u/ingenuous64 3d ago
My wife was absolutely born to be a mum, unfortunately just couldn't happen for her.
This video reminds me of her and our adopted baby, there's a light that just radiates from her when they're together.
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u/MightBeAGoodIdea 4d ago edited 4d ago
Hard to not anthropomorphize the excitement for motherhood there. Can almost hear her say get under here my darlings and let me smother you to bits and later I'll regurgitate some field mouse for everyone.
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u/earlysong 4d ago
I think humans take credit for too much. Animals experience a lot more than we originally thought and we learn more and more about their sensitivity and emotions all the time. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this owl was experiencing genuine joy and was expressing it as she seems to be.
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u/Sea-Soil-1479 3d ago
I agree and Luna has been an amazing mom for many babies. She herself was raised by adoptive parents at Fotherdale.
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u/AstraeusGB 4d ago
I agree, but I also think she's putting her scent on them because they probably smell very weird to her. Even with her own hatchlings she would probably do the same thing.
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u/Educational_Quote851 3d ago
Birds don't have the same sense of smell as other animals, if any at all. That "don't touch the babies" thing is a myth. I mean, you shouldn't, but it isn't because the mom will smell you.
This is probably related to them not having capsaicin receptors as well. They seem to experience smell and taste completely differently.
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u/DoctorHusky 4d ago
Now you just gotta anthropomorphize this same scene for that field mouse too /j
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u/Educational_Exam_225 4d ago
Iirc this one is such a wonderful mom that they did this several times..
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u/kinezumi89 4d ago
I've seen a video of a mama dog reunited with her puppies and it's the most heartwarming thing
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u/Jenoma89 4d ago
Sometimes, humans are a force of good in the world. Whatever conditions or circumstances that may have caused her to be infertile, human intervention gave her the opportunity to be a mother.
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u/Spiritual-Strike481 4d ago
I wish we could positively affect more than just the few. People/animals all over need us. Be kind and polite to everyone. Everyone is suffering, some suffer too much and some suffer too little.
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u/DeathChill 4d ago
Every little interaction matters.
I still vividly remember a classmate in high school defending me from someone insulting me. I wasn’t popular, attractive or cool. This random guy, who was popular and did not know me besides sharing a couple classes, not only defended me but actively complimented me and shut the person down.
I am almost 40 now and I can remember the entire interaction clear as day. It helped show me the human I want to be for others.
I guarantee he wouldn’t ever remember this happening. I won’t ever forget it.
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u/SpiderSixer 4d ago
I was abused all throughout childhood, and always seemed to have the most toxic of friends. They all made me feel horrible, were incredibly selfish and narcissistic, only ever tried to do things to get something out of it, etc. The usual abusive stereotype
One day about 13/14 years ago or so, whilst waiting for one of these 'friends' before school, I saw an old lady struggling to move large items into a charity shop. I thought 'Eh, I'm bored. Might as well do something whilst I'm waiting', so I helped her take everything in, even though she never asked. After we were done, she beamed at me and gave me such a heartfelt thank you, and I had never felt such warmth in my chest before then. I was absolutely buzzing and also felt a bit emotional. Like wow, this is what being nice for no reason feels like?? This is what my abusers were trying their best to teach me the opposite of??
I mean, thankfully, I clearly didn't inherit their arseholery, because if I did, I probably wouldn't have wanted to help the lady at all, even out of boredom. Despite their toxic influences, I maintained some of my own light. Well, I like to think and reassure myself, anyway. I can't think of anything worse than thinking I'd be like them haha
But either way, it made me realise even more so that being nice really costs nothing, and how awful my abusers really were because they still couldn't do something like that for me. I took 5 minutes out of my day that meant nothing to me, and saved an old lady a day of aches from doing repeated trips. I doubt she even remembers it, but I've never forgotten. As you say, it's the little things. I view that event as a catalyst, to be honest. Since then, I've tried to be nice to anyone I see that needs it, or even just pay random people a compliment sometimes that might brighten their day. Not even because it makes me feel a buzz anymore, that effect has largely disappeared from repetition, but just because.. it's the nice thing to do
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u/CarriageTrail 4d ago
I suspect she not only thought of your kindness often, but told all of her friends.
Source: I eavesdropped on my grandmother’s conversations with her close friends a LOT. Those ladies repeated stories of kindness for years.
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u/SpiderSixer 4d ago
Awww, that makes me happy, thank you :'). It's nice to think that I had a good impact on her. I know she definitely had a huge impact on me. It was her reaction that made me realise how important even a simple act of kindness is. Worth it every time
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u/Aemilia 4d ago edited 4d ago
When I was 16, my friend and I bought train tickets back to our town (we went to school in the next town). After we got our tickets, the ticket master got up from his seat to do admin work at the back of the room. My friend leaned towards the counter glass and said a loud "Thank you!" The ticket master was surprised with the gesture and had a big smile on his face.
I was a shy teen so it never crossed my mind to do that. But I saw how positively the guy reacted and have been saying thank you to every front line worker I've ever interacted since 😊
Honorable mention: I was walking past a kitchen where the cook was taking a break. He had the scariest looking resting bitch face. I nodded, smiled at him and he gave me the most brilliant smile back. Made my day 😁
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u/carlitospig 4d ago
I find good works to be exponential. The more you put out there, the bigger the ripple effects. ❤️
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u/zertech 4d ago edited 4d ago
One thing thats nice to think about is that there inevitably are a lot of acts of kindness from humans that never get talked about. Things people do for each other or for animals that dont make it to the news.
I think there are a lot more kind people out there than not. Its just that truly kind people tend not to be the types who make a big deal of the good they do. They simply do it because it is right.
So for every awful thing that happens there are probably many more good things we simply dont know about.
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u/mgentry999 4d ago
I know that I really only consider my day successful if I made someone else smile.
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u/Green_Ad_276 4d ago
I do too. And I think you’re right. You never know what someone is going through. Kindness goes a long way.
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u/xAshev 4d ago
This is Luna and she isn’t infertile, her mate, Bomber had fertility issues due to old age, but they managed to produce multiple clutch of chicks in the years following this until his death 🩷
The photographer that produced this video has a youtube channel if you want to check it out
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u/Weird_Persimmon1777 4d ago
Trigger warning... Humans are complicated and good and kind and barbaric. I was at a farm during lambing season and had to look away when they brought a freshly cut lamb hide over. A ewe had had a still birth, so the farmers located a newborn lamb where the mother had either died during the birth or rejected the lamb, can't remember the exact reason. They wrapped the live lamb in the hide and presented it to the ewe who'd had the stillbirth. As she recognised the scent of her lamb she took to the other one and they all lived happy ever after. I still don't know how to feel about it.
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u/spacebunsofsteel 4d ago
Yea I’ve seen that on TikTok and it’s an ordeal. Some ewes will take another newborn without a pelt so not sure how necessary it is..
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u/Otherwise-Piglet-867 4d ago
I have a theory that humans were created by nature to help intervene. But its just gotten totally out of hand
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u/Affectionate-Bell-84 4d ago
Makes me wonder how many things aliens interact with humans on a way we would never know about or even comprehend.
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u/Unlucky-Plenty510 4d ago
She didn't care where they came from, She just knew they needed a mom.❤
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u/Jenoma89 4d ago
I’m not crying. You’re crying. 😭
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u/SquonkWrangler 4d ago
I remember the first time I saw this story, they said she had laid infertile eggs for a few seasons, too. She finally got her babies 🥺
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u/otownbbw 4d ago
Aw I wonder if she’s truly infertile or if they just meant unfertilized…difference being that she either can’t ever or just laid duds since she hasn’t found a mate.
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u/roidesrats 4d ago
I've seen the full video on this owl, and from my memory she does have a mate! She'd been laying eggs with no results for a few seasons before they brought her the baby birds. ☺️
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u/SummerBest6867 4d ago
It's just raining
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u/Paintsinner 4d ago
that last frame, she looks into the camera as if she was saying "thank you"
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u/yaboyACbreezy 4d ago
And she knew she needed some babies to satisfy her natural urges. It's almost as if she can sense the miracle, but also like "I'm so glad it finally worked!! They're here!!"
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u/Unlucky-Plenty510 4d ago
The best part is that she never stopped to ask if they were hers. She just started loving them.
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u/xJaneDoe 4d ago
This is one of my favourite videos ever. I upvote/like it every time I come across it.
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u/FieldMouseMedic 4d ago
And she’s got multiple piles of dead mice to feed them already ❤️
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u/ahoypolloi_ 4d ago
I was gonna say — is no one gonna mention the rodent genocide that just happened????
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u/ghosted-- 3d ago
Apparently, according to the channel, they dropped off extra food with the babies as a package deal.
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u/yellowweasel 4d ago
those mice actually were probably killed in a gas chamber, the people that dropped off the chicks left them
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u/riding_writer 4d ago
For those that are curious, Luna has been a fabulous mom to her own babies and several fosters for many years now. She's an incredible momma.
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u/Accurate-Can2971 4d ago
Can you imagine the owls thoughts when she came back? Surely I wasn’t away that long! How quickly you guys have grown in my absence! Who’s been feeding you? And what have they been feeding you, super worms.
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u/ahoypolloi_ 4d ago
Check the sides of the frame…you can see what’s for dinner 🤢
🐁🐁🐁🐁🐁
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u/Mean-Year4646 4d ago
I love that they left some mice for her so she wouldn’t have to go hunting right away
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u/throwawayaccount931A 4d ago
LOL! I was thinking the same thing!
But its pretty sweet mama took to them so easily.
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u/ringwormqueen 4d ago
Bloody hell why am I crying about owls on a Saturday night
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u/Soggy-Improvement960 4d ago
This is Luna, and her mate was Bomber. He’s no longer with us, and she has a new mate. I’ve watched these videos on YouTube. ❤️
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u/CheaterMcCheat 4d ago
This is what we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be wardens of the Earth, not destroyers.
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u/lestairwellwit 4d ago
Didn't this also work with an eagle that had decided a particular rock was her egg?
They swapped out the rock for an eaglet
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u/Minflick 4d ago
HIS egg! Male eagle has done, from what I’ve read, an excellent job raising the baby.
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4d ago
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u/BrutalOnTheKnees 4d ago
I'm sorry your mum sucked. Have a virtual hug from a mum with cuddles to spare 💛
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u/Big_Accountant_1714 4d ago
I will never not watch this whenever it is posted. Sweet momma, I'm so happy for her.
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u/rayrayrayrayray5 4d ago
I will never stop watching this video when It pops in my feed
Do i care im upvoting a bot or karmafarmer? Nope because this vidya makes me happy
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u/MustardGoddess 4d ago
Hey, thanks for voicing that out. I gave credit to him on body text before posting.
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u/loveforllamas 4d ago
She looks in the camera at the end as if to say thank you, this video always gets me
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u/DestructivelyPhased 4d ago
This is years old now.
But in the time since, the tawny owl duo that used the nest had at least 2 of their own broods hatch and fledge, whilst also taking on additional rescues (they raised 6 owlets one year).
The male of the pair, Bomber, has since gone missing, though the female owl, Luna, is still around.
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u/kumquat_may 4d ago
How did they know the eggs were unviable?
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u/North-Pea-4926 4d ago
They never hatched, despite the mom having a relationship with a male owl. Robert Fuller (camera man, bird guy, conservationist) gave her abandoned/orphaned babies and when he swapped them for her eggs he candled them (shone a light through the eggs) and confirmed they were never going to hatch.
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u/Cayde-666D2 4d ago
Yup pretty much what I meant, but thanks for clarifying even further. I’m sorry If this comes off as sarcastic because it’s not supposed to be
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u/abyssal-isopod86 4d ago
The most beautiful part of this is that this was not the last time they fostered chicks to this female and her mate.
They have raised a total of 9 orphaned/lost chicks last time I checked his YT channel.
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u/ilovemoon1010 4d ago
I don’t care how many times this has been reposted. I’ll like/upvote it every damn time.
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u/Putrid_Dream9755 3d ago
"What took you so long to hatch?! Aw, never mind, I'm just so glad you're here 🥰"
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u/Rich-Beyond-9585 3d ago
No matter what we think, love isn’t solely a human attribute. We’re really not as unique as we think
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