Stork's hearty meal in a yard sparks debate about bird's usefulness online

Facebook users have recently been drawn to a video posted by eyewitness Agita, who captured a natural scene right next to her home. The main character of the video is a stork that got a decent meal — a fairly large rat. The author commented on the clip laconically: "The end of the rat..."

The unexpected footage immediately sparked a broad discussion and exchange of experiences in the comments. While some commenters joked that due to drought or other circumstances "there are no frogs, so you have to eat what you can get," others shared stories about the great usefulness of storks near homes. One reader revealed that a couple of years ago storks in their yard completely eliminated all moles, while another gardener sighed that these birds could just as eagerly start picking off troublesome slugs.

Commenters agree that a stork is an extremely valuable neighbour on any rural property, serving as a permanent garden guard. Although it is not "a robot programmed to eat only certain things," the bird excellently controls the rodent population. Farm owners also point out that defenders of snakes, frogs, or insects would quickly change their minds and would rather have such a white tenant if their yard were infested with reptiles or pests.

Moreover, while other predators, such as foxes or martens, visit a yard only briefly to snatch something stealthily, a stork watches over the territory constantly. Nature observers also reassure owners of smaller animals — as long as a stork has eaten frogs and small rodents, it will not specifically go after hare babies or other harder-to-catch prey, because when the table is full, it chooses easier-to-obtain food.