Gary Zammit, 42, said he found the heron chick, which he named Dude, in March after its family died in a storm and took it to the Gwel an Mor wildlife park in Portreath, England, The Sun reported Monday.

"To encourage him to try flying I had to tempt him along with food in the hope that instinct would kick in and he'd go up -- but for days he just walked alongside me, or occasionally hopped a bit," Zammit said of the rescued bird. "I ended up getting really involved and running alongside flapping my arms like an idiot. Eventually he began half flying at a height of around three feet, and he's gone on from there."

Zammit said Dude now reaches heights of 70 feet and returns when his name is called.