The 3rd March marks the day that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed in 1973. In 2013, UN World Wildlife Day was established to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants every year on the 3rd March. The theme this year is “Sustaining all life on Earth, encompassing all wild animal and plant species as key components of the world’s biodiversity.”
I’m sure you’ll see many images today celebrating the variety and beauty of the world’s wildlife, including the traditional poster animals of conservation as well as a selection of the one million animal and plant species scientists have said are now threatened with extinction. So, I’ve decided to share an image that does not fall into either category. I hope it does, however, highlight the importance of all wildlife – whatever their appearance or behaviour – in the world’s ecosystems.
I’m sure most people would say that this marabou stork isn’t the most attractive bird they’ve ever seen. The head and neck of this bird are mostly bald to prevent its feathers from getting covered in blood when it feeds. Marabou storks also defecate on their legs and feet, like turkey vultures. They do this, along with panting, to regulate their body temperature. Their bills are enormous and can grow up to 35cm long.
Some of their eating habits may also sound pretty unappealing. Marabou storks eat a huge variety of live food, including insects, other birds, and mammals, and are attracted to wildfires where they can pick off fleeing animals. They also scavenge carrion and waste left by us and can even be seen foraging in places like refuse dumps and abattoirs. This may sound a bit grim, but it’s important to remember the vital job they perform in the ecosystem in which they live; by scavenging rotting material and eating carcasses they are cleaning up the environment and helping to stop the spread of disease.
This image was taken in the Masai Mara in 2011 at a hippo carcass where hyenas were feeding while vultures, along with this marabou stork, patiently waited their turn. That trip opened my eyes to beguiling species such as the marabou stork, which I hadn’t encountered before. There was something creepy about looking up into a tree and seeing one perched up there like a towering sentry, particularly when we were losing the light. They look like they just are waiting for something to die: a morbid but bizarrely thrilling thought. Like spotted hyenas, they were a species I expected to not feel any real connection to, so I was surprised when I realised they had become a favourite of mine to watch. Unfortunately, this was the only decent image I took of one on that trip and it isn’t one of my best. However, it does show off that gorgeous bald head!
Marabou storks are not endangered, but I felt it was important to use World Wildlife Day to highlight the vital role all species play – whether they’d look good on a poster, or not.