Zeus is a fully blind owl who became an internet sensation with his mesmerizing eyes, which seem to reflect the universe. Zeus is a Western Screech Owl from Southern California. His internet fame came after a man found the owl, alone and injured, and brought him into the Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar, California.
After a consultation with a vet, Zeus became a permanent resident at the wildlife center due to the fact that he was blind and wouldn’t be able to live comfortably in the wild. He was given the moniker of Zeus, who was the Greek god of sky and thunder, because of his hypnotic eyes. The founder of the Wildlife Learning Center, Paul Hahn, created Zeus his own little truck so he could live on his filing cabinet. Many people aren’t aware, but owls heavily rely on the vision in order to survive, and because of that, their eyes actually account for 1-5% of their entire body weight.
Hahn said to the Mystical Raven, “In our combined 40-plus-years of working with wildlife, we’ve never seen anything quite like it. But he’s doing great! He still hangs out in the office with us every day and is otherwise completely healthy.”
Since 2012, Hahn has been providing Zeus with care at the Wildlife Center.
Zeus turned out to be quite a friendly bird who showed himself to enjoy socialization. Some people who have met him have even reported crying when they meet the remarkable owl and his incredible eyes.
He also commented, “It’s remarkable that Zeus’ disability brings so much awareness, sensitivity, and concern for not just screech owls, but all types of wildlife, as well as the environment we share. Zeus is truly an ambassador … he’s a joy. It’s not just a responsibility for us to care for him, but a privilege.”
Given Zeus’s gentle nature and beautiful eyes, it made perfect sense to make him an ambassador for the organization. With that job title came the responsibility for Zeus to regularly do meet and greets with guests, as well as be part of educational programs. And the owl was a natural at it all.
In some Native American tribes, owls are believed to be supernatural messengers who bring warnings to those who’ve gone against tribal taboos. In addition, in Aztec and Mayan cultures, owls were believed to be both the messengers and companions of the gods of death.Of course, that isn’t Zeus, but his eyes do give that otherworldly vibe. Check out some of his pictures down below:
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
