Nearly 160 baby storks have been tagged at Planckendael Zoo in Mechelen so far this year, equalling the record set in 2023, the animal park announced on Tuesday.
Out of 166 chicks recorded, 157 received tags.
The park also noted an increase in productive nests, recording 71 compared to 61 last year. However, heavy rainfall in Spring led to the loss of many chicks, leaving several stork couples with empty nests.
An exceptional event occurred this year, the zoo reported. “After losing its chick, one of the storks laid fresh eggs," one of the zookeepers explained. "A healthy chick hatched on the eve of our last tagging day at the end of June – an altogether exceptional and interesting phenomenon as all the other chicks are already several weeks old.”
Storks have resided in the zoo since 1990, and the first ten chicks were tagged in 1991. The group continues to expand each year, nesting within the park. At the last count, the zoo housed 376 storks - 210 adults and 166 chicks - forming the largest colony in Belgium, said park spokesperson Amanda Wielemans.
