A beautiful white stork was spotted recently flying over the English county of Cheshire, and not only would no one alive today be able to remember the last time that happened, but none of their grandparents would either; neither would any of their grandparents, and probably none of theirs.
White storks have been extinct in England for 600 years—since the time Martin Luther nailed his document of reforms on the Church wall—but they’ve been back and breeding for several years thanks to efforts to reintroduce them from other populations.
The Warsaw Zoo donated birds to the White Stork Project of southern England. They had been rescued following accidents on roads or with powerlines.
Some of the birds are kept at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and every year managers at the project take their offspring to the rewilded Knepp Estate and Wadhurst Park in Sussex to grow up in a natural environment where they can build up the memory and skills to survive and thrive in the English countryside again.
Residents of Cheshire were thrilled to see this large white bird with black plumage flying over their county again, reports Matt Hancock-Bruce, chief reporter with the Warrington Guardian.
MORE ENGLISH WILDLIFE: 2 Beavers Named Hazel and Chompy Reintroduced to English County–the First Ones to Live Here in 400 Years
“I thought it was a common crane at first but after watching it for a while I realized it was a white stork!” Darren Banks, the Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s land management officer, told the local paper.
“It was fantastic to witness it circling overhead with its incredible wing span.”
For those unfamiliar with English geography, Cheshire is not close by national standards to the Cotswolds or the Knepp Estate.
OTHER BIRDS FLYING HOME: Beloved Birds Return to Islands for First Time in 40 Years After Damming Damage Reversed
“There are no upcoming plans to re-introduce them here in Cheshire but it was a great sign to see one this far north!” Mr. Banks added.
Though extinct in England for all these years, the white stork is considered a species of least concern, and can be found as far afield as Kenya, Palestine, Turkey, and Kazakhstan.
A nest camera run by the White Stork Project of a stork family of four is live 24/7 on the Knepp Estate, where you can watch the juveniles fight over the food brought by their parents.
CHECK IT OUT below…
SHARE The Joy Of The First Generation Since Martin Luther To See This Stork In England…