Why don't I pet or hug Yolka and the other owls? It's because they don't like it! Touching a bird's feathers spoils them, no matter how clean and soft your hands are. In nature, a bird's life is directly dependent on the condition of its feathers. If they are ruined, spoiled or broken, it affects the bird's ability to fly and regulate its body temperature. The ability to fly affects a predator's success in hunting. Therefore, the worse the feathers are, the harder it is to hunt, the less food there is, the weaker the bird gets, the harder it gets to keep hunting. Which leads to death from starvation. That's why predatory birds take care of their feathers and don't let anyone touch them. Even if the bird is tame and used to being handled, touching it will still have a negative psychological effect on it. Remember this next time you will feel like petting an owl. Yes, you'll be happy if your arm doesn't get bitten off up to the elbow, but the owl will not get any pleasant emotions from it. Don't be selfish! Don't harass owls!
I always let people touch Yolka's feet and belly, where the feathers are not in danger, and the owl knows it and accepts it quite calmly. But wing and tail feathers are a taboo. And this applies to all birds.
This is why I get very angry when I hear about "owl cafes" and petting zoos where visitors are allowed to touch and pet birds. As for scratching Gnus, I will talk about it in detail in the second part of the video. I don't pet him, I scratch him.