The Croatian love story continues: Klepetan returns to Malena once again

Klepetan & Malena (Photo: Screenshot)

3 JUNE 2020 – The remarkable love story of two long-legged storks from eastern Croatia, which has gone on for the last 18 years, continues with news that Klepetan has returned to his love Malena in Brodski Varoš.

Although everyone, including the storks’ caretaker Stjepan Vokić, thought that Klepetan died last year, he has returned to Brodski Varoš. 

When a stork arrived back in April, Vokić at first himself was not sure that it was Klepetan, now he says that it is him.

“It’s true, he came back in April, they have three eggs so far, he broke one, the cold had a bad effect on them … He was right there with me in the yard while she was lying on her eggs,” Vokić, who was quite shocked by Klepetan’s return this year, told Index.hr. 

“It was very shocking to me, he came on March 18 last year, it was too cold for them, their eggs were literally frozen, so he left on April 18. I thought then that he went to die, he didn’t come back all that time. It’s the only thing I could doubt, but now he’s here again,” says Vokić. 

The love story of storks Klepetan and Malena has captured the hearts of many in Croatia for 18 years now. The two storks made their nest on a chimney in Brodski Varos more than two decades ago. 

The pair would fly together until poachers injured Malena’s wing which left her flying capabilities restricted.

With storks being a migrating bird, this caused a problem. Every winter Klepetan would leave Croatia and make his way more than 13,000 km to the warmer climates of Africa. Without fail, however, Klepetan has always managed somehow to negotiate his return to Croatia in the spring when the weather warms up to be reunited with Malena.