Every day, a wild crow named Russell eagerly waits for his favorite person to come home from school. And that person is a little boy named Otto. They’re best friends. They do everything together—watch TV, take walks, and play games.
Russell Crow became like family to Otto after Otto’s dad found him very sick and almost dying. Russell was just a baby bird then, hurt and left alone.
Otto’s mom, Laerke Luna Jensen, says that when they asked for help from someone who takes care of wildlife, they were told to just let nature handle it. But they thought the baby crow deserved a chance, so they brought him home to take care of him.
Russell became interested in Otto right away, and Otto liked the bird too. One day, Otto walked up to Russell and wanted to touch and play with him, and Russell let him.
Even now, Otto is the only one in the family that Russell lets pet him. The crow is very protective of Otto and watches over him whenever he’s home.
When Russell grew up, the Jensens let him go back into the wild, but he never went too far from their house. He likes to come visit the family, and they’re always happy to see him. They see him as a wild bird now, but whenever Russell spots Otto, he comes over to hang out with his friend.
Now, they have a new rule that says nobody can pet or touch Russell so he can get used to being wild again. It seems to be working out fine. But we believe Russell will always remember the family who helped him when he needed it.
