Is it a dinosaur? Is it even real? It it really that big? Those are the questions most people have been asking when they see video of the Shoebill Stork.

The answers - No. Yes. Not really.

For some reason or another video of the Shoebill Stork has been making the rounds on social media with the reactions ranging from 'OMG!' to 'No. Just no.'

The video above is the one people have been seeing and it makes the bird look like it's about 7 feet tall, when in reality it's closer to 3 1/2 - 4 feet. Still pretty big right?

It's actually the camera angle used to make the Shoebill Stork look so massive and intimidating. They're really kind of cute, and from the video below it looks like they're friendly too.

Watch as about 30 seconds in, the man actually pets it. What a terrifying creature!

The craziest thing about the Showbill Stork is the noise it makes. It's not a chirping or singing like you would associate with most birds, rather its a low almost grunting or popping sound.

If you remember your Jurassic Park - Dr. Grant hypothesizes that some dinosaurs evolved into birds. Well this might be the concrete proof Dr. Grant was looking for.

Since all the dinosaur sounds you hear in the movies are made up for film effect, some scientists and archaeologists have speculated that the noise made by the Shoebill Stork is closer to the noises made by most dinos, though much louder.

They're native to east Africa, but I would love to see one at the Utica Zoo someday!

What do you think of the Shoebill Stork? Is it scary, or awesome?

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