A 24-hour webcam allows stork lovers worldwide to watch Yaren, who returns to visit his human friend every year.
An unlikely friendship between a poor fisherman and a majestic bird that first visited his rowboat 13 years ago has captivated Turkey for years.
The stork — nicknamed Yaren, or “companion,” in Turkish — has returned to Adem Yilmaz’s boat every year since, after migrating south for the winter. The local news media gleefully documented his arrival last month.
Now, thanks to a 24-hour webcam set up by the local government, stork lovers everywhere can check in on Yaren and his partner, Nazli, or “coquette” in Turkish. They preen, contort their necks, clack their beaks, renovate their nest and occasionally mate.