[VIDEO] Man Reunites With ‘Dinosaur-Looking’ Shoebill Stork He First Met at 10: ‘She’s an Incredible Bird’

Courtesy of Cameron Whitnall

A shoebill stork, rescued as a young bird with injuries after Ugandan locals set fire to her habitat, made a huge impression on a visitor from the U.K., a 10-year-old boy from a family of zookeepers. Seventeen years later the pair have been reunited—and the stately stork, whose species is now critically endangered, still inspires awe.

Cameron Whitnall, 27, is a conservation champion, wildlife photographer, and TV host who works for his family’s two charities in southern England: Paradise Wildlife Park, and The Big Cat Sanctuary. And the shoebill stork is one of his favorite animals.