Photos: Turkish man strikes up 37-year friendship with swan

An unusual friendship between a Turkish man and a swan he rescued has endured for decades

Published: February 08, 2021 19:48 AP and compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor

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Retired postman Recep Mirzan found Garip, a female swan, 37 years ago in Turkey's western Edirne province. Image Credit: AP

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Mirzan and a group of friends were taking a shortcut in their car when they noticed the swan, with a broken wing, in an empty field. Image Credit: AP

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Mirzan immediately took the swan in to protect her from predators and kept her in the car until that afternoon, when he was able to take the swan to his home. Image Credit: AP

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Since then, Garip has lived on the man's farm in the Karaagac region, bordering Greece. Image Credit: AP

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Garip follows Mirzan whenever she is out of her pen, accompanying him when he is doing his chores around the farm or for his evening walks. Image Credit: AP

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"Since I love animals, I said to myself that I should take her home instead of leaving her as prey to foxes," Mirzan told AP, recounting the day he took Garip in. "We got used to each other. We never separated." Image Credit: AP

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Mirzan named the swan "Garip," which translates as "bizarre" but is also used to describe those who are down on their luck. Image Credit: AP

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After Garip's broken wing healed, the swan stayed with Mirzan and also befriended the cats and dogs in the area. Image Credit: AP

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Garip spends most of her time out of her pen and has never tried to run away from Mirzan's farmstead. Image Credit: AP

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A widower with no children, the 63-year-old Mirzan says Garip has been loyal to him and chose to stay at his side. Mirzan considers the swan his child. Image Credit: AP

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Living with Mirzan has obviously been beneficial for Garip. According to the UK-based Swan Sanctuary, the average lifespan for a swan in the wild is 12 years. It says that, in protected environments, they can live up to 30 years. Image Credit: AP

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Mirzan holds Garip. Image Credit: AP

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