A man has been praised for saving the life of a Red Kite after finding the bird struggling on the ground during the recent hot weather. TikTok user Lou found the once-endangered bird of prey lying lifeless in a field, having seemingly overheated and suffering from dehydration.
In a now-viral clip, which has been viewed over two million times, Lou approaches the bird lying in the grass with its eyes wide open and tongue hanging out of its beak. You can keep up to date with the latest viral TikTok videos and trends by clicking here.
Checking for a pulse and stroking the bird's feathers, he asks it: "What's going on bro? Huh?". He adds: "It's alive bro. It's the second time you know, it's the second time that I've found a bird [like this]"
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After finding the bird, Lou grabbed a large bottle of water and started feeding it to the bird, who gratefully lapped it up. Having fed it around a quarter of the bottle, he decided to let the Red Kite go. As soon as he released it, it flew away having been restored to its full strength.
Instantly recognisable by its reddish-brown feathers, pointed wings and distinctive forked tails, the Red Kite is one of the most beautiful breeds of bird in the world. However, the species was nearly wiped off the Earth just 20 years ago.
In 1992, there were only one or two known breeding pairs left in the wild in Wales, while it was totally extinct in both England and Scotland. Red Kites had long been relentlessly hunted by taxidermists, egg collectors and farmers who wrongly accused them of killing game by one of the world's longest-running wildlife protection programmes.
Today, however, according to the Welsh Kite Trust, there are now more than 2,500 breeding pairs in Wales alone, and they're producing more and more offspring. There has also been a revival in parts of England and Scotland while in Wales, Powys and Ceredigion are among the best places for spotting them.
Viewers of Lou's 80-second video - which has also received over 225,000 likes - praised his actions and thanked him for saving the struggling bird. Thousands of fans commented saying he had "restored their faith in humanity", while others described him as "an angel".
"We need more people like you in this world," said one, while another added: "Love that you did this, huge respect." A third viewer wrote: "You can tell a lot about someone's character when they have this humanity. You're my kind of person. Thanks for saving him/ her."
"So glad you found her," wrote another. "They're magnificent birds. Sad to think how many animals die due to dehydration in weather like this that they aren't used to." One person added: "You've restore my faith in humanity, thank you. You are a wonderful human being," while another simply said: "You're an angel!".
Other viewers said that everyone should take from Lou's example and do something simple to protect wildlife during the heatwave. "Everyone should put some water in their garden or by their front door to help the animals to find a drink," wrote one, while another commented: "We have to look after our birds, on hot days please put out a dish of cold water." Meanwhile, a third said: "Thank you so much for your kindness. Definitely a lesson here to check on the wildlife the next few days."
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