Yaren, famous stork’s 15th annual homecoming: Lands on fisherman’s boat again in northwestern Türkiye

​​​​​​​By Busra Nur Yilmaz

BURSA, Türkiye (AA) - Yaren, the beloved white stork, known for his touching “friendship story” with fisherman Adem Yilmaz, has returned to northwestern Türkiye for the 15th consecutive year during the migration season to Bursa.

The stork, the enduring symbol of Eskikaraagac Mahallesi on the shores of Lake Uluabat in Bursa, again landed on Yilmaz's boat, giving them another opportunity to strike their iconic traditional pose.

The heartwarming scene was captured by nature and wildlife photographer Alper Tuydes.

Yaren shares a nest with his mate Nazli, and the pair can be watched live around the clock via cameras streaming at yarenleylek.com.

Yilmaz explained that when the stork arrived on Feb. 24, people initially thought it was Nazli, pointing out how easily they can mistake one white stork for another since they look so similar.

"Yaren is the symbol of our village and very dear to me. He stays here for about six months. We bid him farewell at the end of August. During that time, they raise three to four chicks, help them fledge into the wild, and roughly 15 days later, Yaren and his mate depart," he said.

The fisherman noted the rising waters in Lake Uluabat is excellent news for Yaren and all bird species. “Fish multiply, and the birds can fill their stomachs," he added.

White storks can live for up to 40 years, with an average lifespan of 20 - 35 years in the wild and often longer in captivity.

Yaren’s extraordinary bond with Yilmaz has captured global attention for years.

The 24/7 live feed draws viewers from across the world who tune in to follow the storks’ daily life, nesting behavior and family moments in real time.

EuroNatur is a German nature conservation foundation founded in 1987 that promotes cross-border protection of Europe's wildlife and habitats, and Eskikaraagac village where Yaren comes every year is a member of its European Stork Villages Network, which honors communities dedicated to white stork conservation.

*Writing by Selcuk Uysal