Morrigan’s repeat visits to Portsmouth vet

A vet has revealed how rewarding it was to rescue a crow that has continued to visit him after its release.

Portsmouth Vets for Pets practice owner Justyn Loveridge was presented with the injured bird by a member of the public who had discovered it unable to fly.

After confirming the corvid had a fractured bone in its wing with an x-ray and determining it had a good chance of survival with the right treatment, Dr Loveridge brought it home where he and fiancée Sally nursed it back to health.

Irish goddess

They dubbed the bird Morrigan, naming it after the Celtic goddess from Irish mythology often depicted as a crow.

The pair set up a safe space for Morrigan to recuperate in their living room, with a crate and perches for it to climb on.

Morrigan was fit to be released two weeks later having received round-the-clock care from its hosts, which included careful portion management.

Repeat visits

Dr Loveridge said: “Crows are omnivores, so I bought a mix of everything: insect mix, peanuts, chopped tomatoes, and even blueberries, which were a firm favourite with Morrigan.

“Obviously, with the lack of exercise, I was concerned about potential weight issues, so we kept portion sizes minimal to avoid overfeeding.”

Morrigan flew away as soon as the crate was opened for its release back into the wild, but the crow has continued to return to visit Dr Loveridge.

“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that crows are just as clever as primates,” he said. “Knowing that an intelligent animal keeps coming back to visit makes me feel like I’ve truly made a difference.”