Durban - Every morning when Winklespruit resident Carol Lane drinks her coffee, she gets a warm welcome from a woolly-necked stork.
Two years ago, she helped the stork (Ciconia episcopus) when its leg became tangled in fishing line, and it now appears to have fallen in love with her.
It visits Lane’s home every day for a vienna sausage snack and walks around the property for hours, refusing to leave at night.
Lane, 55, said the stork followed her every move. It was waiting for her in the morning and when she came home.
”When I am having coffee on the porch in the morning, it glares at me. I think this is a way to say good morning. When I relax in the pool, it opens his wings and does a little dance. It even peers at me through the window while I type on my computer.
“I thought it was because I supplied it with viennas but even after the stork has had its treat, it spends hours on the property keeping track of my every move,” she laughed.
The stork, whose sex is unclear and who Lane has never named, made its first visit in 2014 with its mate, looking for their next meal.
One day, while watching their antics, she noticed fishing line wrapped around its foot, making it difficult for the bird to walk, and she feared it would become entangled in a tree.
Lane called the SPCA who said unless the bird was caught, there was nothing anyone could do.
“I did not want to see the bird endure any more pain than it had. I started trying to trick it by luring it towards the house so we could catch it and remove the line.
“After a few failed attempts, I discovered the pair loved vienna sausages. It was the ideal opportunity to help the stork. Using a line of viennas I managed to lure it inside.”
She and her friend, Jaco van der Berg caught it and Van der Berg patiently cut the knot of fishing line off its legs and feet while Lane held on tightly.
After the rescue, the two storks returned regularly for their “vienna fix”.
Lane was fascinated by them, and bought viennas in bulk when there were specials.
But since December, only the one she helped has come to visit. Its partner could be found nowhere.
“I have done research and found that storks are monogamous and have one partner their entire life. I am not sure what happened to the partner but I am glad the stork made a friend of me,” said Lane.
Bird Life South Africa chief executive Mark Anderson said birds habituated if they were regularly fed or came into frequent contact with humans.
“This stork has obviously been fed and looked after by the kind lady, and subsequently it has become tame and confiding.
“Although this bird is not being kept in captivity, the public need to be reminded that they need a permit from their provincial nature conservation authority to keep wild birds (in a cage),” said Anderson.
* News just in: The second stork has arrived back after being gone for two months.
Sunday Tribune