Overview

• Two eyewitnesses reported a stork immobile in Lehrte’s old sewage ponds over the weekend, prompting Feuerwehr Lehrte to launch a ten-person dive operation.
• Divers in neoprene approached within three meters but the bird flew off, leading authorities to confirm it was neither injured nor trapped.
• At a nearby gravel pit, firefighters discovered a drenched fledgling that remained exhausted and unresponsive until crews placed it in a small boat.
• Veterinary checks found no external injuries on the juvenile but noted its hypothermic state before transferring it to an Hannover clinic for treatment.
• Conservation groups say the incidents underscore improved rescue protocols and growing public vigilance as Germany’s white stork population rebounds.