The Gloucestershire-based wildlife attraction has achieved its most productive white stork breeding season on record, with 49 chicks successfully raised during the current year.

The centre’s contribution forms a central component of a nationwide rewilding initiative aimed at restoring white stork populations across southern England.

According to park officials, the facility has maintained its involvement with the White Stork Project for nine consecutive years.

The programme reached its 10th anniversary this season, marking a significant milestone for conservation efforts.

Since the initiative commenced in 2016, the park has produced 280 white storks for release into natural habitats, establishing itself as a vital breeding facility within the rewilding network.

The chicks undergo a carefully managed development process following hatching.

After an incubation period of roughly 35 days, keeper teams supplement the parental feeding regimen by delivering daily provisions of finely prepared food items, primarily fish and insects, to each nest.

This supplementary feeding supports chick survival rates and prevents excessive strain on adult birds managing larger broods.

Once the juveniles have developed flight capabilities, they are removed from the adult population and undergo identification procedures.

The birds are sexed, fitted with identification rings, and kept under observation for a fortnight before transportation to acclimatisation enclosures in Sussex.

Following this adjustment period, the storks are released into wild environments to undertake their inaugural migratory journeys.

The young birds typically begin their autumn migration in late August, though certain individuals may continue their stay within Britain until early October.

A significant technological advancement distinguishes this season’s programme.

Every released individual now carries either satellite tracking equipment or recently developed electronic nanotag devices.

These monitoring tools enable conservation staff to gather comprehensive data regarding post-release movements, survival rates, and behavioural patterns while permitting observation of more individuals than previously feasible.

The White Stork Project operates as a collaborative venture, uniting the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, Knepp Castle Estate, and numerous private landowners across Sussex in a shared conservation objective.

The programme’s target involves establishing a self-sustaining wild breeding population comprising at least 50 productive pairs throughout southern England by the end of the decade.