One stormy afternoon in Yorkshire, England, a woman was walking her dog when something on the wet pavement caught her eye — a tiny, motionless shape beneath the trees.
It was a baby pigeon, tossed from his nest by the storm and lying cold in the rain. At first glance, she thought he was gone. But when she leaned closer, she saw a faint movement — he was still breathing.
With nothing else on hand, the woman did the only thing she could. She gently wrapped the fragile bird in a dog poop bag to keep him warm and raced to Forest Flock Pigeon Sanctuary for help.
When Stephanie Miller, the sanctuary’s founder, first saw the baby, she feared it was too late.
“He was maybe fifteen minutes away from dying, if that,” Miller told The Dodo.
Still, she refused to give up. She named the tiny survivor Loki, placed his limp body on a heating pad, and gave him oxygen. Then she waited.
Miraculously, after a few tense hours, Loki stirred. His breathing steadied. His temperature rose. And finally — his eyes opened.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Miller said.
Loki was still fragile, barely a week old, but his will to live was unmistakable. For the next day, Miller worked tirelessly to rehydrate him, then began hand-feeding him formula drop by drop. Each morning, he seemed a little stronger.
Weeks passed, and Loki’s transformation was astonishing. His soft yellow baby fluff gave way to sleek gray feathers, his eyes sparkled with curiosity, and his cheeky personality began to shine.
“He’s very cheeky,” Miller said with a smile. “He squeaks for food at 5:30 a.m. — peas and seeds are his favorite — and he loves poking his beak into my ear.”
Soon, Loki will move into the sanctuary’s aviary to learn from the adult pigeons how to forage and fly. By spring, he’ll be ready to return to the wild — a moment Miller knows will be both joyful and bittersweet.
“I’ve grown very attached,” she admitted. “I really thought he wouldn’t make it … My heart went out to him.”
Earlier this week, the woman who rescued Loki came by to visit and couldn’t believe how far he’d come.
“He’s incredible,” Miller said. “He’s got the fight of Rocky.”
Thanks to one woman’s quick thinking — and a simple poop bag — a tiny life that almost ended in the rain has a bright, free future ahead.
To support the lifesaving work of Forest Flock Pigeon Sanctuary, you can contribute supplies through their online wishlist.
