Rescued baby crows captured the hearts of a veterinarian and her family
When a nest full of baby crows fell to the ground, the man who found them tried to put them all back in the tree. The parents did not return and he called a local veterinarian, Dr. Kristy Hiltz, who was known to help all creatures in need. She sent her husband to watch the nest carefully until nightfall. The parents did not come back and it was clear that they had been orphaned. They would not survive the night without protection and food. She took the nest and adopted the babies, together with her family. They were all called “Fred” because Kristy’s father’s name was Fred. It was hoped that they would learn to say the name. But they also became known as Baby Fred, Adventure Fred, Russell Crow, and Crow Magnon. The crows were demanding little souls, crying for food every 2-3 hours. They grew quickly on a diet of turkey mash, dog food, meat and vegetables. Soon, they were able to fly and they were released in Kristy’s back yard. The crows roosted in trees throughout the night but they returned each morning at sunrise, demanding their breakfast. The crows perched on their family’s shoulders and slept in their laps, looking for affection. The aim was to raise them with less interaction as they grew older, hoping that they would become independent. They were taught to eat berries, worms, and anything else that could be found in the wild. The crows learned to say the word “hello” and seemed to understand that it was a greeting to be used when they returned to their people. Soon, the crows were bringing worms and leaves as gifts. They even became protective when the family beagle growled at Kristy playfully in the back yard while tugging on a toy. Eventually, the crows were seen flying with wild crows, but they would still come back for food several times per day. This was decreased slowly and they disappeared in the autumn, along with the other crows who migrated south for the winter. Anxiously, Kristy’s family waited and hoped and then one day in the spring, they heard two crows calling out “hello” from the trees in the yard. The Freds would still take food left out and they would still perch near the kids to watch, but they no longer wanted to be petted or hand fed. Heart breaking as it was, this was what they needed and what their human family had worked for. A camera left at the back yard bird feeder actually caught footage of one “Fred” speaking politely to a squirrel as he waited patiently for some peanuts. There are crow babies in the trees each spring and their hungry cries remind Kristy’s family of that beautiful summer when they raised these wonderful birds. And occasionally, a crow still comes very close and lets out a very clear “hello” before flying off.
