Stork flocks do not safely cross Lebanese airspace without thousands falling prey to hunters, who are mainly motivated by the desire for social media bragging rights, counting their daily catch: "Two, ten, maybe a hundred." Since this beautiful bird, which loves Lebanon's springs and greenery, is not included on Lebanese tables, the fate of the captured birds often involves being discarded in fields or taxidermied by those who can manage it. In both cases, Lebanon is on the blacklist regarding the disappearance of thousands of birds during their migratory journey. Evidence comes from cameras carried by these birds to track their routes, revealing that what was once known as the "Switzerland of the East" is now merely a graveyard for birds.
In an effort to mitigate this phenomenon, a group of Lebanese youth has volunteered to protect these birds by keeping vigil at locations where they typically seek refuge, hoping to see the migration season pass with fewer losses. According to the "Lebanon Weather Forest" website, over 60,000 birds passed through the skies of Akkar yesterday; nonetheless, they did not escape random hunting due to the lack of strict laws prohibiting the hunting of storks, which are not edible in the first place.
