Renee Urbino had always been a city girl with no love for nature. She’d take the bus to the gym to run on the treadmill instead of just running to the gym and back. She could climb every route in the air-conditioned climbing gym, but couldn’t remember the last time she’d deigned to touch a real rock. So when she headed to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival she expected that should wouldn’t go anywhere near actual wilderness. But a drunken night found her in the hands of kidnappers, who were sure they could fetch a handsome price for a pretty alemão. Renee’s head was still pounding from a hangover when she heard the door to her room unlock and open, but instead of any of her captors, there stood a gangly fuzzy bird.
“How did you open the door?” she asked.
The bird held up its wing to reveal that instead of flight feathers, there were functional fingers!
The bird then shook violently, shedding feathers and fuzz, undergoing a catastrophic molt right before Renee’s eyes and transforming into a fine adult specimen.
“Thank you so much for saving me!”
A voice emanated from the animal, “Yes, but now you must do something for me…”
And on that day, Renee too was transformed. She lost her love of cities, and instead became an advocate for the forest, determined to stop human encroachment on nature, through any means necessary. She is now, Hoatzin, Defender of the Forest!
From:
Obscure Animals and Superpowers Part 2: The Villains
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