Wesley the Owl
The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

Stacey O'Brien

In 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien was offered a four-day-old American barn owl to raise. It was a lifetime commitment she willingly took on. Once this owl was raised in a safe habitat he couldn't return to the wild. Owls mate for life. Once Stacey took the baby owl, he was hers for her life.

She took Wesley home with her. She rented rooms from a friend who had a farm and her own animals. Wesley, as Stacey named the baby owl, was added to the household although he stayed mostly in Stacey's room. That was the beginning of Wesley's life. He stayed with Stacey for the next 19 years, older than the average barn owl.

Wesley the Owl is Stacey's love story of her life with a remarkable wild pet. At the beginning of the book she warns that now owls have to be sent to animal wildlife rehab centers when found like Wesley was. Then she tells his and her story. While the book is about Wesley, the barn owl, it is also about Stacey. When she first adopted Wesley she worked with Cal Tech and lived with her friend Wendy, her husband, and her baby daughter. Over the next 19 years Stacey has human relationships as well as her life with Wesley, different jobs, different homes, family members, dating, and health issues.

Wesley took 24/7 attention. He needed fed six to eight mice a day while an infant, then three to four when an adult. Barn owls mate once for life. Stacey became Wesley's mate. Other people might be accepted, but only if Stacey introduced them first. There were people, including dates, that Wesley never accepted. But others were enthralled with Wesley and the owl accepted them. She goes through the stages of Wesley's development and life.

Wesley the Owl also examines barn owls as a species and the biological studies of animals. O'Brien presents the case for animal studies. She discusses the animal rights activists versus the scientific community. The radical activists often did more harm to the animals by releasing them than what the scientists did in captivity. She's coming from the biologists' perspective, and is for animal studies. No, she doesn't approve of animal testing in all cases but states a good case for research.

Wesley the Owl is a quick read. It is heart warming and poignant. It can be read for pleasure or for study. My book club chose it for their December read. It's a nice way to end the year.