While walking along her usual path, Brandon (@rightbrainedmom on TikTok) noticed that her dog, Howard, had stopped dead in his tracks, intrigued by something at the side of the path. As she got closer, she saw one crow fly away, but a black shape remained on the ground, completely still.
"I noticed a large black mound on the ground," Brandon recalls. To her surprise, the shape moved. It was a second crow, clearly injured and unable to fly up to the treetops. "He looked in a very bad way, and I didn't know what to do. I started talking to him, and he looked up at me."
A 'mystical' encounter
Following advice from the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary, Brandon plucked up the courage to pick up the bird. What happened next left a deep impression on her: the animal offered no resistance at all. "He sort of melted into my arms. Have you ever cradled a crow against your chest while it looks at you gently? It was an incredible experience."
With her son by her side, she drove the 'castaway of the woods' to the sanctuary, where the staff took over. The bird had injuries to its head, wing, and leg, likely from an attack by another bird of prey. Without the help of Howard and Brandon, its chances of survival would have been almost zero.
A return to the wild
A few weeks later, the news is excellent. The crow is recovering day by day thanks to the intensive care from the specialists. Brandon, who has grown very fond of the bird she held so close, has already agreed to take part in the final stage of its recovery.
The sanctuary has invited her to be the one to open the cage and release him right where she found him. It brings the story full circle for this unlikely trio. "I'm so happy I could be part of his healing. And it's all thanks to Howard!" she concludes with pride.
