Stjepan Vokić, the man from Brodski Varoš who’s been taking care of storks Klepetan and Malena for 25 years, sent a video appeal to president of Lebanon Michel Aoun, pleading him to put an end to the slaughter of migratory birds flying through Lebanon territory.
Klepetan has been returning from his travels later than usual in the last few years, leaving his guardian in fear that the famous Croatian stork might have ended up as one of the million migratory birds who get shot to death flying over Lebanon each year. Kapetan got home safely this time, but the male stork Tesla from Lonjsko polje wasn’t so lucky, having been shot in Lebanon a month ago.
The Lebanon media spread the message until it reached president Aoun, who remarked he was exceptionally touched by the video. A photo was published showing the president with the symbolic token he was sent – a single feather from Klepetan.
A meeting was held to finally find a solution for the uneccessary loss of precious wildlife. Claudine Aoun, daughter of the president, met with representatives of associations for bird protection – the Society for Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS). They were joined by representatives of the Lebanon association of hunters. According to the agreement that was reached, hunting activities will be transparently monitored throughout the hunting season, while the Beirut government guarantees to heavily penalise all individuals who are caught illegally shooting at migratory birds.
Seems like Klepetan might be travelling a bit safer next season.
You can watch Vokić’s video appeal with subtitles below:
