Surviving Triumph at Rastatt's Postplatz: Three Young Tortoises Overcome Nest-Fighting Ordeal

Surviving Triumph at Rastatt's Postplatz: Three Young Tortoises Overcome Nest-Fighting Ordeal

In the heart of Rastatt, the much-loved stork family has done us proud! A brood of three hatchlings has been making headlines, following a close inspection by regional stork experts Annette Jung and Stefan Eisenbarter. One chick sadly met an untimely end, but the three survivors are considered extraordinary by Eisenbarter, a testament to their breeding success.

Early on Tuesday, Eisenbarter and his team were on the scene, ready as rosy-fingered dawn. With the city administration's Technical Operations crew in tow, they climbed up to the nest high in the plane tree - only to be greeted with a heartening sight, as the city administration reports.

Rastatt's city hall was quick to act. Aware that the nest's stability and ease of access for the proud parents was paramount, the city administration commissioned a pruning operation on the plane tree. "We didn't want to eliminate too much leaf cover to maintain the tree's photosynthesis capabilities," press spokeswoman Heike Bornhäuser clarified.

However, this intervention sparked controversy within the city hall. Eisenbarter had previously called for the creation of a safe flight path for the returning storks in the autumn. Despite his appeals, the experts in the administration prioritized the plane tree's well-being over animal welfare.

City Mayor Monika Müller (SPD) officers spoke out on the matter early in April. "Our shared goal is to enable the storks to reproduce," the mayor said. "The storks' home on the Postplatz will be pruned as much as possible, provided it's feasible from a tree care perspective, as soon as the storks actually start breeding," Müller added.

True to her word, Müller ensured that the city team pruned the tree on Tuesday morning, while Eisenbarter and Jung carefully ringed and returned the chicks to their nest. Ringing helps biologists identify the birds uniquely. Information gleaned from this includes age, migration routes, and return destinations.

Meanwhile, the team also took care of business at Badner Hall's stork nest, ringing another chick, and visited two nests in Plittersdorf, where they inspected a total of three more youngsters - as the administration reports.

So, what lies ahead for these fledglings? Eisenbarter projects that they'll migrate southwards at the end of July or early August. Parents usually follow suit around two weeks later.

Rastatt's future for the stork infants remains uncertain. Eisenbarter hopes to advocate for improved conditions for the storks next year in Rastatt's city hall, once the chicks have embarked on their southern journeys.

As for these amazing birds, storks are a long-established protected species in countries like Germany, where they are a cherished sight in many towns during the summer months. The city of Rastatt often welcomes and safeguards these impressive, migratory creatures.

1. As environmental-science experts, Annette Jung and Stefan Eisenbarter are also concerned about the future lifestyle of the stork family in Rastatt, suggesting improvements for the protection of storks during their autumn migration.
2. Against the backdrop of home-and-garden concerns, the city administration took action to prune the plane tree where the storks nest, ensuring both the tree's health and the survivability of the three chicks, while also sparking a debate on animal welfare.
3. In the realm of science and weather, Stefan Eisenbarter predicted that the stork chicks will soon migrate southwards, potentially stirring discussion about the environmental consequences of this southward journey during their early life stages.

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