When a chick is initially fed by a person, everything is much simpler. But when an adult bird gets into trouble, things get more complicated. Pain and confusion are mixed with fear and distrust.
Despite the fact that Booba spent a long time on treatment, moving to a shelter became a stress for him. Yesterday he refused to eat. I had to visit him almost every hour. Very, very slowly, I went into his room, sat next to him and quietly talked to him. Then I began to touch him gently. Very slowly and carefully, without sudden movements. I knew that even if he pecks me, I should not pull my hand away sharply, so as not to frighten him more.
Then I began carefully put food in his beak. Booba does not have one foot and he can not tear the feed himself, as the hawks do.
At first he sat with a piece of food in his beak. Then I noticed that as soon as I start leaving the room, he swallows the food. I returned and put the next piece in his beak. So we started to eat.