One day in August, we were presenting our work at our stand during the Vâltoarea Mureșeană Festival. By chance, Örs Kézdi stopped by our tent and learned about what we do. Months passed, and he reached a moment in his life when he wanted to help, to do something good. He also had some free time, and that – combined with his love for owls, a love he himself doesn’t quite know the origin of – led him to us, more precisely, to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

At that crucial moment, Örs called us and offered his help. That was in April of this year. Since then, once a week – or whenever needed – he has been feeding the injured animals in our care.

For someone who grew up in a block of flats and had little to do even with domestic animals, his dedication is truly remarkable. Although this work carries an emotional weight, he understands that not all patients survive. Still, the first time he faced the death of one of them affected him deeply – especially since it was a little owl, given his special fondness for them. We asked him whether he had ever been afraid of the animals at the centre, as larger birds can sometimes be intimidating, particularly for someone who isn’t used to them. Without hesitation, he said “no”, even though he still bears the marks of a stork’s beak on his arm.

We are deeply moved by his dedication – by the fact that he doesn’t hesitate to call us whenever he faces a new situation and wants to make sure he’s doing everything right for the animals. When we were caring for a bee-eater that needed live food, he didn’t think twice before catching crickets with his bare hands, even though he had never done anything like that before.

Since April, his life has changed quite a bit. Alongside his job, he has also started his master’s programme. He admits that his free time is limited, but it never even crosses his mind to give up volunteering at the centre.

After all these months of volunteering, all we can say is thank you – for everything he has done to make sure the injured animals in our centre receive the food, care, and attention they deserve.