THE first wild storks to hatch in the UK since the Middle Ages have emerged.
Rangers at Knepp Estate near Horsham waited with baited breath after nine eggs were discovered in two nests in March.
Finally last week one happy white stork couple welcomed its chicks into the world, though rangers do not yet know how many of the five eggs have hatched.
“These are early days for the chicks and we will be monitoring them closely, but we have great hopes for them,” said Durrell Wildlife Trust officer Lucy Groves.
“This is just one step towards establishing this species in the South of England.
“It may be a small step, but it is an exciting one.”
The stork couple had fostered three eggs last year but none of them hatched.
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