This Crow Fell From 100 Feet Tree, Only To Be Raised By A Human And Her German Shepherd

There are few things as rare and touching as an interspecies friendship. One such story is that of Pepe, a rescue crow who fell from a 100-foot tree and was taken in by Jo, his human mother. Pepe grew up alongside Jo’s pet German Shepherd, Xena.

The Dodo, a New York City-based content publisher specializing in stories about animals adopted or befriended by humans, introduced Pepe to the world. Pepe initially gained attention online for his love of accompanying Xena on walks. He would curiously investigate what Xena was sniffing, though he didn’t share the same sense of smell as dogs.

Jo described a playful sibling rivalry between Pepe and Xena. Whatever toy Xena had, Pepe wanted as well. He would eagerly join in games of tug-of-war whenever Xena was playing. Despite his playful behavior, Pepe sometimes caused concern when he bent his neck back while sunbathing—a normal behavior for crows that helps them kill parasites. Jo mentioned that Pepe trusted her so much that he would perform this behavior anywhere in her yard.

When Jo first found Pepe, he had fallen from a considerable height. She initially tried to attract his biological mother by recording his calls and playing them on speakers, but the mother did not respond. Jo kept Pepe safe from stray cats by bringing him inside at night and fed him regularly. As Pepe began to take his first steps, Jo introduced him to her backyard, which provided a great environment for him to explore.

Instead of feeding him directly, Jo placed mealworms for Pepe to peck at and taught him to fly as his flight feathers developed. “It was a pretty cool experience to see him get the hang of things so quickly,” she recalled. Pepe had a quirky habit of hiding berries in Jo’s crocs or the wrinkles of her shirt, which Jo found amusing due to Pepe’s cleverness.

Jo also noticed that Pepe began sharing his food with other crows, leading her to give him good food for his friends. Over time, Pepe started visiting Jo and Xena less frequently, eventually becoming more independent. “It’s bittersweet seeing him become more independent, but as much as I enjoy his company, my goal from the beginning was to make sure that he could live as normal of a crow life as possible,” Jo said.

A few months later, Pepe stopped visiting. “While Pepe has not returned, I have plenty of wonderful memories that I will continue to share (hopefully more frequently) for those still interested in seeing Pepe’s journey,” Jo wrote in an Instagram post.