Rewilding efforts that brought white storks back to southern England have provided optimism that a similar project could soon reintroduce the bird to the nation's capital.
Citizen Zoo, an organization dedicated to community-led urban rewilding projects, is looking to reestablish white storks in Greater London, per the Guardian. It is determining suitable habitats within the city's boroughs and assessing the political momentum of its movement.
"We know we have habitat here, and there's a lot of wetland restoration occurring across Greater London as well so hopefully the habitat opportunities are increasing over time," Citizen Zoo co-founder Elliot Newton told the publication.
"We don't know if it's possible yet, but how amazing would it be if white storks nested in St James's Park, beside Buckingham Palace, as a symbol of ecological recovery in the capital?"
According to the White Stork Project, white storks are native to the British Isles and help preserve the stability of wetlands and grasslands by feeding on small mammals and larger insects. They also build nests that provide opportunities for other birds, like sparrows.
The group reintroduced the species in 2016 at the Knepp estate in West Sussex, 45 miles south of central London, using 30 rescued white storks imported from Poland's Warsaw Zoo as a "magnet."
The flightless birds attracted wild white storks flying nearby, leading the latter to begin nesting in the estate's ancient oak trees. In 2020, they became the first wild storks to breed in the U.K. in over 600 years, resulting in increased sightings across the country.
Last year saw 26 chicks fledge from 11 nests throughout Knepp, and now those birds are migrating across Europe.
The program's success inspired Citizen Zoo to bring the animal to a more urban landscape, something wild storks are already comfortable with. The hope is that the bird, which symbolizes good luck, will help Londoners reconnect with wildlife in a mutually beneficial relationship — not unlike the rewilding projects that reintroduced beavers to Scotland or anteaters to the Amazon.
"White storks breed excitement," Newton said, per the Guardian. "We're hoping to engage and motivate people to consider their reintroduction into London. It's such a beautiful bird that people will recognize and see, and it can capture the imagination of people who might miss other species. It will be a symbol of ecological regeneration in urban spaces across the U.K."
"Their return will not only be about returning a species once lost, but also a poetic reminder of the bond between humanity and the natural world," Citizen Zoo CEO Lucas Ruzo said.
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