Lion of Zoo Planckendael eats stork that lands in its enclosure: “Very bad for the bird, but also the law of nature” | Mechelen

Images surfaced on social media of a stork emerging from the water in the enclosure of the Asiatic lions. The animal lingers for a moment in a wire and is then caught by a male lion that was lurking.

According to spokesperson Amanda Wielemans, the images may date from mid-July, when a lion did indeed eat a stork. “It’s bad for the stork of course, but the law of nature,” she responds.

According to her, young storks who learn to fly often end up in the bed, sometimes with fatal consequences. “Our lions remain wild animals; the hunting instinct is certainly still present. It happens every year that there are youngsters who do not make it because of that.”

Zoo Planckendael has a record number of young storks this year. The caretakers counted 145 birds, 34 more than in 2021.

Storks from Planckendael break records