Man meets stork on his boat—years later, they’re still best friends, and it’s a beautiful tale
What's the most special thing about friendships? Well, they are born in the most unexpected places, leading to strong, long-lasting bonds. Imagine meeting someone, and from that very minute, they seamlessly blend into your life like you had known each other for years. Likewise, a heartfelt story about the unusual bond between a fisherman and a stork proves this beautiful truth about friendship and companionship. Well, the camaraderie began over a decade ago, when a Turkish fisherman named Adem Yilmaz was fishing in a lake, as reported by The New York Times.
He was taking out his fishing net when a noise from behind caught his attention. The poor fisherman immediately turned back, only to see a magnificent stork standing on the tip of his rowboat. Although storks had been a regular sight in the Turkish village, typically during summer, this was the first time Yilmaz was seeing one so closely. Nevertheless, the fisherman thought that the stork might be hungry and hence tossed a fish towards it. And as expected, the moment it happened, the bird happily ate it, as if it had been hungry for days. Following their first meeting, the stork was not only a regular sight on Yilmaz's boat during summers but also returned after migrating during the winters.
"This is not a tale. This is a true story. It is a true story with the flavor of a tale," Ali Ozkan, the mayor of Karacabey, the Turkish district, shared. Interestingly, it's been more than 14 years since the fisherman and the stork, later named Yaren, had met, but to date, they remain best of friends. "He was really thin and weak on arrival. But now, after a week, he looks rejuvenated. That's because he has been eating fish every day," Yilmaz shared with Burak Dogansoysal's documentary, talking about how Yaren had lost weight after migration. In the enchanting documentary, the filmmaker even captured a glimpse of Yaren arriving on Yilmaz's boat with his partner. So, it wasn't just Yaren but his lady love too who equally loved the fisherman's company.
"I feed you every day. I will starve myself. You are leaving me with nothing to sell," Yilmaz jokingly complained to Yaren. Furthermore, Yilmaz talked about his love for the storks, especially because he was always around them since his childhood. He said, "I love all creatures, but storks are my favorite. Maybe because people in my village regard them as blessed birds." Meanwhile, reacting to the documentary, @nadialaribi commented, "I read the transcript, but even without it, you can get the beautiful feelings between the man and the stork...I wish one day I could visit this peaceful and happy village. It's blessed!"
Similarly, @jettamcfly wrote, "I am in love with this story. It is so much more than a story told. This friendship shows us what trust, hope, and love truly look like. This restores my faith in humanity. May Adem and Yaren have many more years enjoying each other's company!" On the other hand, @h_schwips4891 said, "This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing this story (and thank you for adding subtitles)." @gingerfitch3257 asked, "How do we support the work you did on this documentary? I am watching this for free, but you deserve to be paid."
You can follow Burak Dogansoysal on YouTube for more such animal-related content.