Updated: May 15, 2026 

Safari Lake Geneva

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A marabou stork spotted in northeast Wisconsin over the past week has a new home in Lake Geneva. 

"Jungle" Jay Christie, owner of Safari Lake Geneva conservation park, says the wayward bird was rescued Thursday, May 14, and is currently settling into the park's quarantine facilities. 

In a press release, Christie joked the stork "surrendered without any resistance," and is "remarkably tame, by stork standards."

While it's unknown where this particular bird came from originally, the park says marabou storks are native to sub-Saharan Africa. 

"It's unlikely she would have survived another month on the lam," said Maggie Christie, Safari Lake Geneva's director of conservation, noting a number of reported close calls with vehicles. 

The park says the stork is already a staff favorite.

Sarah Strysick

Posted: May 8, 2026

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- There's a rare stork flying around northeast Wisconsin, and it's been spotted in Fond du Lac, Appleton, Green Bay and Sheboygan this week. 

A former wildlife rescuer says she is trying to work with the Wisconsin and Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to try and find the marabou stork's home. 

She says it's important to catch the stork as soon as possible to avoid it potentially getting hurt or hurting others. 

"It is probably living its best life out there, but it could go downhill quickly for it," said Jessica Saunders, former wildlife transporter and rescuer.
"I was told that it isn't uncommon for it to maybe have a loop that it's making. It could really like our area and could be coming back to Fond du Lac."

If you see a huge bird flying through the sky in the next few days, it could be the rogue stork continuing its tour of Wisconsin. 

Rare bird spotted in northeast Wisconsin Eric Zick