Télé-Cigognes, live bears and duck feeding: the nature craze in streaming

Every morning for the past three years, it's been the same ritual. After drinking her coffee, Brigitte Besson, 74, A former shorthand typist based in Loiret, turns on her computer. On the screen, a live broadcast from the top of the chimney of the town hall of Sarralbe (Moselle), where two storks live: Maurice, nicknamed "Momo", and Mélodie, his companion. From her computer, the retiree watches the daily life of the two waders. "I was able to see the parents raising their storks, the little one learning," she says, amused.

Installed in 2016 by the municipality, the camera continuously broadcasts the couple's life on the town's website. Over the years, it has enjoyed growing success. "We've seen a real surge in interest, with nearly 50,000 visitors in a single day," explains Dominique Klein, editor-in-chief of the program called "Télé-Cigognes."

Internet users from all over the world exchange ideas on a Facebook group: "The storks of Sarralbe in Moselle." Each feeding, each flight or return to the nest is scrutinized with the fervor of a television soap opera. "One year, doubt about the female's identity gave rise to rumors about an illegitimate wife. Everyone had their own hypothesis," recalls the leader. Brigitte Besson actively participates in the discussions. She regularly publishes poems, weather reports, and even screenshots that she subtitles by imagining dialogues between the birds. "It gives me a feeling of freedom," she confides.

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