August-September 2025 • Nebraskaland 59
according to Kinsey. "He's the hardest
one to resist petting," she said.
A Star is Born
Spike's fi rst video appearance
came from an idea of Kinsey's: "I saw
that stupid trend online of showing
someone something they had never
seen before. I was like, oh my gosh, we
have to do that with one of our birds!"
She encouraged the team to pick
Spike for the video, and he was a
natural — gazing at a water fountain,
break room freezer, wall certifi cate and
more, all with the same wide-eyed,
seemingly amazed expression.
"We thought that was viral. It got,
like, 100,000 views," she recalled.
But Spike's true breakthrough
moment came later, when Kinsey
appeared alongside him in a video
"introducing" him to their audience.
Kinsey still remembers the
moment she realized how big the
video had gotten. She was hiking
and had stopped to sip water and
check Instagram. A rising Brooklyn-
born singer-songwriter, INIKO, had
commented and clicked the "heart"
button on the post.
"I remember freaking out at that,"
Kinsey said. "I texted our social media
manager … and it just blew up from
there."
Fans began sending staff their Spike
and George fan art. Donations came
in from places like Canada, Germany,
Italy and Australia. And in one
year, Fontenelle Forest's Instagram
following increased by more than 700
percent.
"It's amazing, the infl uence and
reach that he has," Kinsey said.
Seizing the moment, Fontenelle
staff created a Spike and George
T-shirt to sell in the gift shop, and in
June, a sold-out crowd attended an in-
person meet-and-greet with Spike and
George. Virtual and in-person private
meetings are also in the works.
With a Little Help from
My Friends
Why has Spike become so beloved?
Peek through the comment sections
and you'll see mostly good-spirited
humor — "I would die for Spike" or
"Spike is my spirit animal" — but also
sincere emotion.
One person wrote, "I'm having such
a rough day, and seeing Spike, and
how he doesn't let his limitations hold
him back, really inspires me. … Seeing
Spike made me smile."
Kinsey fondly remembers one
visitor who fl ew in from Chicago after
requesting a private meeting.
"She was having some medical
issues, and she said that Spike was a
big part of her healing journey," Kinsey
said. "I think she appreciated the
quality of life that we're able to give
the birds here.
"And that's something that's really
important to me. The broken birds are
not going to get tossed aside," she said.
"We don't just discard something that
doesn't work right. I think that meant
a lot."
N
To see more of Spike's adventures,
follow Fontenelle Forest on Facebook,
Instagram, X, YouTube or LinkedIn.
Learn more at fontenelleforest.org.
In June, visitors from across the country gathered at Fontenelle Forest for its fi rst-ever "Spike Spectacular," a sold-out
meet-and-greet with Spike and his roommate, George (pictured above). PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM
