Stork Rocky's tracking signal lost in Spain

Contact has been lost with Rocky, a well-known stork from Freinsheim, Germany, who was being tracked by thousands of users via a specialized app. The Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology confirmed that the signal from the bird's transmitter has ceased.

Rocky's last recorded location was in the province of Saragossa, Spain, near the Ebro River. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute noted that the transmitter's battery was functioning correctly during its last transmissions on August 20, making a simple battery failure unlikely.

Wolfgang Fiedler, head of the animal marking center at the institute, suggested the bird may have suffered an accident that destroyed the transmitter. One possibility being considered is that the stork may have been electrocuted while attempting to roost on a power pole, though this remains speculative as there is no direct evidence from the site.