Care for AWARE's Ambassador Animals

If you've been to AWARE, you have probably met Gazer. She came here as a fluffy baby owl in the early days of our center, unable to see due to a genetic cataract. She compensated for her vision issues by spending more time looking straight up, allowing her ears a better angle to catch sounds from all around her, and earning her the name "Stargazer."

She quickly began making appearances for school groups and scout troops, helping us spread our message of peaceful coexistence with wildlife. Between programs, she lived in a specially-built owl enclosure here at the center. But for years, she did so alone. In the wild, barred owls (and most other raptors) generally form long-term partnerships, but every time we paired her with another non-releasable barred owl, her body language and vocalizations made quite clear that she was not interested in their companionship in the slightest.

And so it went with Tappy. Tappy was a barred owl with lingering neurologic issues after a being hit by a car. Although his physical wounds had healed and he was capable of flight, he simply wouldn't take off, preferring to walk around the center on his feet instead. We tried him with Gazer as we had tried other non-releasable barred owls, and the result was the same - hissing, clacking, and general distaste - a clear "swipe left."

Fortunately, we were just starting up our non-releasable placement program, and those NRP volunteers were able to find Tappy a home at a wildlife center in New York. It took some time to get the paperwork filed with the state and the feds, but eventually the day came when everything was set for him to head out. And on that day...

Gazer and Tappy started calling to each other. We moved them side by side, and they began preening each other. It was obvious - they had found their partners. We called New York, backed out of the transfer, and Tappy and Gazer were officially a pair.

They would remain together for almost ten years. They slowed down a bit as they aged, but they stayed closely bonded, preening each other when they were together and calling to each other when they were apart. And then one morning a few weeks ago, our staff opened the center one morning and found that Gazer had slipped away in the night.

Saying goodbye is always hard, but we take comfort in knowing that thanks to the dedicated AWARE team and the amazing support from donors like those of you on GlobalGiving, Gazer was able to share a wonderful life with Tappy, with all of us at AWARE, and with all the kids and adults whose lives she enriched. Godspeed, Stargazer. You'll be missed.