17/06/2026
A poignant post from Head Keeper, Trystan: 'My Burrowing Owl talk yesterday was a difficult and emotional one. My talk material for years already included parts about David Johnson and the Global Owl Project's work on the species, but this was the first time I would refer to David in the past tense, replacing 'is' with 'was'. Before starting I wasn't sure I'd be able to go through with the display, even asking a colleague to be on hand to take over if I had to step away. I decided to go through with the talk, for David, and included more about his work rather than less, and some of the stories he told of his encounters with the charming and fascinating Burrowing Owl. The stories that brought a smile to my face brought smiles through the audience too, which gave me courage to continue. Dug, our trained Burrowing Owl, was my perfect counterpart, and we play off each other very well. I would ask him a question and he would reply, often with attitude and running circles around me. I concluded the display saying to the audience that sadly David had passed away the day before, and that this display was dedicated to him for all that he did in his life for the owls, for conservation. (If it's okay for Jimmy Kimmel on television to tear up and choke on his words when talking about a friend who'd passed, then I figure it was okay for me, too). My eternal thanks always to David for inspiring me and encouraging me to do this work that I love so much.'
