True love story: The stork flies 8,000 miles each year to see his soul mate
Malina, a female flying stork, settles in her nest in the village of Brodský Pharos in eastern Croatia on April 26, 2018. Malina's "love story" with the mention of the Kleibitan stork, which migrates in August each year to South Africa and returns in March to his colleague for the past 15 years, has captured media attention in recent years.
Show key points
- Malina, a female stork who was injured by hunters and unable to fly, has been living in Brodský Pharos under the care of Stepan Vukić since 199
- Every year for two decades, a male stork named Klebitan flew 13,000 kilometers from South Africa to Croatia just to reunite with Malina.
- Despite her injury, Malina managed to raise 66 chicks with Klebitan over their 19-year relationship, with help from Vukić.
- ADVERTISEMENT
- Croatia hosts around 1,500 pairs of white storks, and in some villages, their numbers surpass those of the human population.
- Vukić not only rescued Malina but also built her a shelter and took care of her offspring by providing food through the winters.
- Klebitan’s consistent migration made him the last stork to leave the village each fall and the first to return in spring, driven by his devotion to Malina.
- Malina passed away from natural causes in July 2021, marking the poignant end of a remarkable interspecies love story.
It is the story of Klebitan, a stork that has been migrating from South Africa to Croatia every year for 20 years in order to be with Malina, a female stork who could not fly after being shot by the hunter.
Croatia is a popular nesting place for white storks; about 1,500 pairs of nesting birds reside in the country, and in some villages there are more storks than the population.
Recommend
Croatian doorman Stepan Vukic found Malina while hunting in 1993; she was shot by hunters and she was unable to fly. Vukić saved Malina and became her caretaker.
Stepan Vukic, the former doorman who found Malina 28 years ago, said: "I tried to feed her but it didn't work." It was 1993, Malina was injured (her wing was shot by a bullet), saved by Vukic, and they spent time together waiting for spring to come. Since Malina was unable to travel due to her ward injury, she could only rely on Vukić to help her during the harsh winter months, and she stayed with him.
In 2002, another important man (well, actually a male stork), Klipitan, appeared in her life, and the couple gave life to 66 small storks. Their love faced a great challenge in that Klebitan had to do what the storks do: migrate to Africa every autumn. However, Malina waited for him, and he couldn't forget her either, and their sometimes distant romance grew into true love and not just a summer relationship.
Vukic then realized that migration was a hallmark of storks, and Kliptan had to fly away when winter came, but he wasn't trying to get rid of Milena.
For Klepitan, it was the last stork to leave the city and the first bird to return, all because he really loves Melina.
Thanks to the tracking ring, Romeo's winged location has been identified as somewhere near Cape Town in South Africa when he is not spending time with Malina. Klibitan had to make a month-long 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles) journey from South Africa to Croatia to meet the partner each year.
Vukić took care of their young because Malena was unable to hunt, so he built a nest and shelter for her and her young while providing the necessary food.
Clipitan returned for the last time in April 2021, because on July 7, 2021, Malina died due to old age and from natural causes.
