In France, millions of birds are raised in captivity each year and later released for the purpose of hunting. These birds, often pheasants, are kept in farms for a few months before being set free into the wild during the hunting season. Francois Roger de Loraille, a herbalist living in a rural area, encountered one such bird that had escaped from a local pheasant farm. The bird, named Cyrano, had taken refuge in de Loraille’s garden, finding it to be a suitable habitat. According to de Loraille, Cyrano had been raised in a farm specifically for release into nature, only to be hunted shortly after. He explained that in his village, pheasants are kept in captivity for a few months before being released in October, the start of the hunting season. In August, Cyrano escaped from the farm and made his way to de Loraille’s property, where it remained for some time. Initially, de Loraille allowed the pheasant to live freely, but he later noticed a plastic anti-pecking device attached to Cyrano’s beak. These devices are commonly used in farming to prevent birds from injuring each other through pecking. De Loraille attempted to catch Cyrano to remove the device, a process that took several weeks. He eventually succeeded using a blanket, gloves, and patience. He expressed concern about the design of the device, which was fastened through the bird’s nostrils, and questioned how far humanity’s desire to control other living beings would go. While he acknowledged that hunting, fishing, and foraging could be acceptable if done for survival, he found it difficult to justify raising an animal for a few months in conditions that required the use of such devices, only to release it for hunting shortly after. De Loraille noted that he had initially believed there was something honorable about hunting, such as respect for the animal and awareness of taking a life for food. However, he found it hard to reconcile this belief with the practice of raising and releasing pheasants for hunting. He left several areas in his garden where Cyrano could find food and noted that the bird could choose to stay, leave, or do as it wished. De Loraille hoped that after escaping the farm, Cyrano would not meet its end through the lead pellets of a hunter. He stated that he had done his part and that the rest of Cyrano’s life now depended on the bird itself.