Orphaned Heron Learns To Fly

Meet Dude; a three-month old Heron whose entire family was killed in a storm near Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Luckily, this little guy was rescued by wild life expert and bird lover, Gary Zammit.

When Gary found him, Dude was almost on the verge of dying. He nursed the little chick back to health, by feeding him tiny fish and keeping him warm.

The little chick, small enough to fit in Gary's palm when first found, got so used to being with Gary that he refused to sleep in the garden. According to Gary, he would bang at the door until he was let in and quickly run to his sleeping place near a clothes horse (used to hang wet clothes on).

As Dude grew older, he would just stand around - and Gary soon realized that this was because this poor Heron had no idea how to fly. This was something his mom would have taught him had she been alive.

So Gary decided to teach the little bird how to fly, by running with food in his pockets and flapping his arms, while squawking like a bird.

At first Dude would just follow him on the ground, eating up all the food and not doing much else. Then slowly he started to take flight and today he is able to soar to buildings as high up as 70ft. Dude however, never flies away. He always comes back when Gary calls him.

That is because Dude, has been brought up by humans, and he thinks he is one too. Experts believe he would never be able survive in the wild.

He will therefore spend the rest of his life in an aviary at a 90-acre park called Feadon Farm in Portreath, U.K., where a special enclosure is being built for him. Dude, now a strapping 3ft tall demanding teenager, seems to be quite happy with this permanent living arrangement!

Sources: Daily Mail.Co.UK, Telegraph.Co.UK