If eyes really are the window to the soul, this blind Western Screech Owl must have a soul that is beautiful, mysterious, and vast like the universe.

Zeus is a blind owl that lives at the Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar, California. Back in 2012, he was taken into a rehabilitation center when he injured himself and landed on somebody’s doorstep. Despite their efforts to train him to live in the wild once more, they were forced to deem him “non-releasable” and decided to give him a permanent home at the WLC.

The “stars” are the damage caused by some kind of traumatic eye injury; whether he flew into something or was attacked by a predator, we’ll never know. But although Zeus is believed to have retained only 10% of his vision, he lives a calm and peaceful life without pain.

He can usually be found perched atop a hollowed-out tree stump at the WLC, where this famous screech owl greets visitors and helps educate them on the importance of wildlife conservation and care. His caretakers also regularly hand feed him his meals — one mouse and 8 mealworms a day.

And even though his wondrous starry-night eyes make him appear to be a rare and mythical creature, like a lot of animals, he knows how to appreciate a good back rub.