Let us tell you a story that will melt your heart like the spring sun melts last flakes of snow.
The story that bonds us with our human nature, reminding us that we are still kind, lovely people, full of care for the world around us. Devotion, hospitality, and kindness might appear in most diverse forms, and they are always shown by small signs of attention.
But residents of little Vojvodina’s village went one step forward.
Settled on the soil land of Banat, place called Taraš, proudly carries flattering title “Europan country of storks”. And as you might assume, their favorite guests are no other than storks. According to the Society of studying and protecting birds in Serbia, every year about 1500 couples of white storks are stationed in our country, of which 600 pairs, for their summer location, pick Banat.
Citizens of Taraš and hosts of this beautiful birds build them platforms, nests full of dry grass of on their rooftops, and chimneys, so when they return from a long vacation, all they need to do is to settle. Storks are known for enormous cooperation and care for each other, so one of them ritually comes in front of the others announcing the great comeback.
In this case, it is a stork symbolically named Prvoje. (meaning, he is coming first)
Landing into the Taraš, under his big wings he brings salutes, happiness, and joy. And when Prvoje gets comfortable, all the other members of his flock join him.
Ideal for long-legged birds, this part of a land draws life from its marvelous, tall trees suitable for nesting, especially during the mating season. Wetlands, grassy fields, wide and rich pastures allowed them to get to the food easily.
And it seems that In this community, they have all, and they all safe. Problems begin when they left.
Searching for warmer areas, birds are flying over Lebanon where they often become victims of the trophy hunt. Devastated by this fact, citizens gathered to help to their flying pets. So they wrote a letter, supported by 52 organization and 28 states and sent it to the president of Lebanon himself. Showing the specific bond between people and this gorges birds, all they could do was to wait.
Waiting for the answer, and to hoping that spring will bring their storks back.
So, like every year, they started with greetings preparation for their guests, collecting plenty of food and hay. Organizing school plays, educative workshops with a mission to improve the awareness of environment and significance of storks and their protection. Still not knowing did they, manage to protect them.
But everything that we do with all of our heart comes back to us multiple. And so is the answer from Lebanon president Michel Aoun, announcing that the hunt of birds is over! 🙂
Photo Nenad Mihajlović
At the time you will be reading this, storks are probably flying over the world finding their way back to home. And maybe, at this very moment they are above the sky of Lebanon, were thanks to their hometowns, they have a free pass.
So all we can say is:
“Welcome home Prvoje!”.