Recep Mirzan, a retired postman, found the bird with a damaged wing in an uninhabited field 37 years ago.
The 63-year-old rushed the swan to his car to keep her safe from predators, then drove her back to his house in Karaagac, Turkey.
Recep said, “Because I adore animals, I told myself that instead of abandoning her as prey for foxes, I should take her home.”
‘We got used to each other. We never separated.’
Since then, the swan has lived on Recep’s farm by the border of Greece.
He named the swan Garip, which translates as ‘bizarre’ – but is also used to describe those who are down on their luck.
Even after Garip’s broken wing healed, the swan stayed with Recep and also befriended the cats and dogs in the area.
When she is not in her pen, she follows Recep around the property, following him on his duties and nighttime walks.
Garip spends the most of her time outside of her pen, and she has never attempted to flee the farm.
Recep, a widower with no children, claims Garip has remained faithful to him and has chosen to remain by his side. He thinks of the swan as his child.
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