Spy Stork Eaten by Nubians

Menes, the Hungarian stork detained by Egyptian officials for suspicion of espionage has been killed and eaten by villagers on an island in the Nile River.

The stork had been arrested in August after being reported to the local authorities for suspicious activity. In reality, Menes was a member of an elite scientific unit being tracked by wildlife officials to help increase our understanding of the species. His arrest had been prompted by a tracking device affixed to his back, which was confused for an article of spy-craft.

A family spokesman distributed a media statement signed by Menes’ mother Resta, who spends most of the year in a village 35 miles from Budapest. The statement reads:

Menes was a brilliant bird whose goal in life was to be an ambassador for our species. He leaves behind a legacy of good work, which will undoubtedly be built upon by his colleagues. He is remembered as an inquisitive, fun-loving soul who truly lived every day to the fullest. His family and many friends miss him terribly, but know that a piece of him lives forever in our hearts.

Nature Conservation Egypt also put out a statement saying:

We truly are saddened by the tragic end to Menes’ journey, but once again, we would like to thank the park rangers of Aswan for their excellent initial efforts to get Menes the White Stork released safely into a protected area.

According to Georges, a fellow participant in the tracking study, Menes was one of a kind. “He just had an innate way of understanding flight patterns that usually takes years to develop.” Noting that the stork’s adventurous nature often got him into tough spots, Georges hadn’t been surprised to hear that he had been arrested in Egypt. “He was so much fun to be around, but when he got that glint in his eye, you just knew that some wild times were on tap”

Menes is survived by 7 siblings, and many nieces and nephews. The family is hoping to establish a scholarship in his name at The Diplomatic School for Birds in Budapest.

Related articles

• Arrested ‘spy’ stork killed and eaten after release in Egypt (theguardian.com)
• “Spy” Stork Arrested Then Released and Eaten in Egypt (greenprophet.com)
• Suspected Egyptian Spy Stork Freed, Then Promptly Killed and Eaten (gawker.com)
• The Sad end for the #SpyStork (egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com)
• The Sad Ballad of Menes, the Egyptian #Spyduck (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)