KOPI from Fear to Freedom

When I first bought Kopi,( he was my break up owl, I had come out of a very toxic relationship and wanted to put my attention on to something positive) I truly believed I was bringing home a bird who could immediately become part of our experiences. The person I bought him from had an animal activity licence, so I assumed he had already been cared for and trained appropriately. But when I arrived to collect him, the scene broke my heart. They were holding him tightly and snuggling into him — and from his body language all I could see pure terror.

When I finally got KOPI home, I realised just how much he’d been through. His anklets were far too big, made of old, stiff leather, and attached with dog clips — completely unsuitable for any bird. When I released him into the large aviary, he flew straight into the wall. He had no spatial awareness whatsoever, and it became painfully clear that he had probably been tethered for most, if not all, of his three years of life.

We had to cover the aviary with a tarp so he couldn’t see the outside world — it frightened him so much. Normally, I allow owls around six weeks to decompress, but Kopi needed much longer. Bit by bit, we started peeling back the tarpaulin, letting in more light and glimpses of the world beyond. He couldn’t fly to the higher perches, so we created different levels so he could hop between them, slowly rebuilding his strength and confidence.

The most important way to connect with any animal — especially with owls — is to truly see and listen to them. When an animal communicates by body language that they are nervous , then respect that and give them space.  Subtle signs such as weight shift , head movements, the grip of the talons on the perch can indicate “I’m scared “.    Nothing builds trust quicker than responding to these clues and acting accordingly. A traditional way could be generalised as flooding where they expose the bird to something it fears, without possibility of escaping, until they stop reacting.  This method is so traumatic and can only worsen anxiety and trust. 

When they show signs that they want to engage, that’s when we interact!! This can take months, years or weeks.  

When I first put Kopi into the outdoor flight area, he had an absolute meltdown. It showed how unaccustomed he was to open spaces, and it set our progress back a while. But we took it at his pace. Gradually, after working on stepping up to the glove on his own free will, adding gentle movement, and rewarding every small step, he began to understand that being outside could be a positive experience.

Our training was going really well until I completely snapped two of my fingers (not owl related) and ended up in cast for 4 weeks.  Kopi was terrified of my cast so it forced a break but it surprised me the day the cast was off we continued our training exactly where it ended.  

Using those amazing wings 

Kopi also had four Reiki sessions that was offered freely by one of our previous guests who had been touched by his story.  I’ll be honest — I wasn’t sure I believed in Reiki before this but after seeing the change in him, I can’t deny its impact alongside the space and freedom we gave him.   It was as if a layer of fear just melted away each time. Kopi’ s demeanour is so opposite to the owl he used to be.  

Our foot checking perch

Most recently, his talons needed trimming. Normally, we use a special perch for this, but that day,  Kopi simply sat on my glove — calm, unrestrained — and let me do it. It absolutely blew my mind because none of my other owls allow that to happen unless they are on the designated foot perch.  He raised the bar. 

When you take in an owl that’s been mistreated, neglected, or simply misunderstood, it’s heartbreaking at first. But watching them heal, regain trust, and rediscover freedom is indescribable. There’s no feeling in the world like it.

You can watch a short video of him flying here  https://youtu.be/IUYK0xlXePM

Our new goal, once bird flu has gone will be free flying.  Watch this space.

As an afterthought, and maybe I’m reading too much into this but as I was writing the blog and reflecting not just on his healing journey but also my own, it seems that my healing mirrored his or did his healing mirror mine.  We have both been through traumatic and toxic relationships  and have come through the other side.