Love is arguably the most powerful force on Earth, and it can overcome absolutely everything.

Humans are not the only creatures who practice monogamy, and two storks have just shown that animals can love each other just as much as we can. The story of these storks is going viral, as it shows that distance and time can never get in the way of two creatures who love each other.

It all started 25 years ago, when widower Stjepan Vokic found an injured female stork next to a pond in Brodski Varoš, Croatia. The stork’s wing was injured when she was illegally shot by a hunter.

Stjepan started caring for the stork, building a nest for her on the roof of his house and bringing her fish to eat that he caught himself in the pond. He even made an “improvised Africa” setting in his garage for her in the winter, complete with a nest, heating, and an aquarium.

“I also take her fishing since I can’t take her to Africa. We even watch TV together. If I had left her in the pond foxes would have eaten her. But I changed her fate, so now I’m responsible for her life,” he said.

Stjepan named the stork Malena, which means “little one” in Croatian. One day, a male stork was flying back from his yearly migration to South Africa when he caught sight of Malena in her nest.

The two storks immediately fell in love.

Named Klepetan, the male stork is healthy enough to migrate to South Africa each winter, but Malena is not. Though this distance would ruin most relationships, it didn’t affect these storks at all! Instead, Klepetan flies to South Africa each winter, and then returns to his love Malena in the spring!

In 15 years, Klepetan and Malena have raised 62 babies together, with him teaching the babies to fly in the fall before he leaves for his migration.

Realizing that people might enjoy seeing this couple reunite each year, Stjepan set up a camera so that he could livestream the nest. Now, millions of people watch every March to see Klepetan and Malena reunite!

Inspired by the love of Klepetan and Malena, Stjepan has become an advocate for ending the hunting of storks. He went so far as to send a heartfelt open letter to Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, asking for legislation to protect birds during their migration seasons.

“Just like the previous fifteen autumns, Klepetan will commence his journey to Africa and will once more fly over Lebanon,” Stjepan wrote. “Unfortunately, I cannot go with him to protect him, but I am sending you this letter written with his feather, in order to implore you, to use the power your esteemed position brings and do everything you can in order to ensure that migratory bird protection laws remain in effect and that they are applied to their fullest extent. I am also sending you Klepetan’s feather because I believe that the feather is mightier than the sword.”

Find out more about this in the video below, and SHARE this story so your friends and family can see the love of these two storks!