Vets who saved a female stork, shot by hunters in Croatia, thought her days were numbered - but reckoned without the devotion of her mate.
The vets knew the female, which they called Malena, would never fly again but put her back on her nest thinking she would not survive the winter.
When her partner, named Rodan, flew south with their young they expected that she would eventually die and certainly never mate again.
But their predictions were proved wrong after the Vokic family where she had a nest helped to feed her through the long winter months and she survived.
And - even more amazingly - Rodan has returned every year to mate with his partner and rear another clutch of chicks.
Every year Rodan flies 13,000 kilometres to South Africa to spend winter in the warm and then the same distance back again to be back with his injured love.
A local said: "She was shot in 1993 by Italians - but she didn't die and was handed over to our vet. He saved her life but was crippled and had lost her ability to fly. The damage was too severe.
"Her lover is amazing - this year when he arrived from South Africa where he spent the winter, despite the fact that he had travelled 13,000 kilometres he immediately made love to Malena.
"It was clear they were pleased to see each other. Because she can't fly Rodan teaches the little ones to fly and accompanies them to the south every season."
The vets knew the female, which they called Malena, would never fly again but put her back on her nest thinking she would not survive the winter.
When her partner, named Rodan, flew south with their young they expected that she would eventually die and certainly never mate again.
But their predictions were proved wrong after the Vokic family where she had a nest helped to feed her through the long winter months and she survived.
And - even more amazingly - Rodan has returned every year to mate with his partner and rear another clutch of chicks.
Every year Rodan flies 13,000 kilometres to South Africa to spend winter in the warm and then the same distance back again to be back with his injured love.
A local said: "She was shot in 1993 by Italians - but she didn't die and was handed over to our vet. He saved her life but was crippled and had lost her ability to fly. The damage was too severe.
"Her lover is amazing - this year when he arrived from South Africa where he spent the winter, despite the fact that he had travelled 13,000 kilometres he immediately made love to Malena.
"It was clear they were pleased to see each other. Because she can't fly Rodan teaches the little ones to fly and accompanies them to the south every season."
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