An unconscious young stork was brought for emergency vet care in the Mogilev region in Belarus after being caught in high-voltage power lines and falling to the ground. He damaged his wing and beak and underwent surgery in which a part of his wing was removed. Nobody believed he was going to make it.
Elena Ersh broke the laws of nature, and though storks are far from your common pets, took him in, determined to save him, because any animal deserves a chance at life. Gosha will never fly again, but it shouldn’t limit him to have less of a life than any other animal. It will be different, but happy nevertheless, and Elena will make sure of it.
While his recovery will be long and challenging, this lucky stork has great support from his new family and thousands of fans online. In fact, Gosha might be the most pampered stork on the planet: he has his private enclosure with a pond, the finest food, regular pets and talks, private rides to the vet, and unconditional love and care of a kind-hearted human.
Read Gosha’s full story below and follow Elena and her stork on TikTok and Instagram for more recovery updates and wholesome adventures from their everyday life.
More info: tiktok.com | Instagram
A young stork was caught up in high-voltage power lines while building a nest
Image credits: elena_ershh
Electrocuted, he fell to the ground unconscious, damaging his wing and beak
Image credits: elena_ershh
Vets performed a surgery on him, removing half of his wing, but didn’t think he would survive
Image credits: elena_ershh
"I found out about a young stork who had been caught in high-voltage power lines, electrocuted, lost his conscience, and fell down to the ground in Mogilev region in Belarus. He had a broken wing and a damaged beak. Local people brought him to a veterinary clinic where he received an urgent care; a part of his wing was removed," Elena told Bored Panda.
This is where Elena stepped in a week later and decided to give this little guy a chance at life and brought him home
Image credits: elena_ershh
"When I found out about this stork, I went to get him without any hesitation. I saw a little sick and helpless stork who lied there and didn’t even lift his head. There was a lot of pain and despair in his eyes."
Elena wrapped Gosha with unconditional love and care and was determined to save him
Image credits: elena_ershh
Image credits: elena_ershh
Image credits: elena_ershh
At the beginning, he would sleep on their balcony at night to keep him safe from wild animals and during the day, he would enjoy the outdoors
Image credits: elena_ershh
The family then built a 100 square meters temporary enclosure for Gosha with a pond where he would feel safe and comfortable
Image credits: elena_ershh
He will also have a little house for winter
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But Gosha seemed depressed and couldn’t stand on his feet
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At one vet clinic, Elena was told the stork was faking his condition, but Elena knew something was really wrong
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"I called all private vet clinics looking for an ornithologist and I have found one vet in Mogilev. After examining the bird, he said that if I had waited longer, he would have died because his wing was infected. He went into surgery on the same day which lasted around 3 hours. Doctors removed more of his wing, cleaned it, and prescribed a treatment."
Finally, after consulting with the only ornithologist in Mogilev, they found out that his wound got infected and he needed urgent surgery again
Image credits: elena_ershh
The vet said he might never wake up from anesthesia, so the 3-hour long waiting time was extremely stressful for Gosha’s new parents
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Gosha was prescribed antibiotics to help him recover
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"I treated him with antibiotics and vitamins for 10 days and massaged his legs. In a week, he was able to stand up on his feet and attempted walking! He is still struggling to walk because of the lack of balance due to a removed wing. But he is learning and I am sure I’ll see Goshenka run one day."
Image credits: elena_ershh
After a long treatment and rehabilitation, Gosha finally started attempting to stand up
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Gosha was doing fantastic, started to adapt to his new life and raise his wing every time he saw his human
Image credits: elena_ershh
Image credits: elena_ershh
Gosha’s living conditions were evaluated by the environmental committee and he’s officially part of Elena’s family
Image credits: elena_ershh
Image credits: elena_ershh
Unfortunately, the stitches on his wings have recently split open, so he’s back on antibiotics
Image credits: elena_ershh
Image credits: elena_ershh
His recovery is going to be long and draining, but he has a great and loving team by his side
Image credits: elena_ershh
"Now he eats and drinks very well. He even hunts for beetles and worms on our territory. We feed him beef, chicken, and fish. He will never be able to fly again but we plan to try a prosthetic wing in the future."
Elena regularly posts Gosha’s recovery and adventures on TikTok and their growing bond is the most wholesome thing. Thousands of people are rooting for Gosha
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Gosha loves cuddles and his walks to the lake. Elena was surprised with how intelligent and affectionate the 1-year-old bird is
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Gosha will never fly again but despite that, he can have a happy life
Image credits: elena_ershh
"Sometimes the best way to help someone is to just be around"
Image credits: elena_ershh