A man has become best friends with a swan that he rescued from certain death decades ago.

Recep Mirzan is an animal lover and a retired postman from Turkey who rescued an injured female swan he had found in a field 37 years ago.

As the farm-owner explained, he noticed that the majestic bird was suffering from a broken wing when the two first met. To keep the animal out of predators’ reach and provide it with the medical attention it needed, Mirzan decided to shelter it in his own home.

37 years later, the former postman and Garip the Swan are best friends, whereas they often do chores and go for a walk together. Over time, the bird also befriended other animals, including dogs and cats, living in the area.

As Mirzan revealed, Garip never wanted to leave his side – even though she was allowed to freely roam around the farm – because the two forged a strong bond.

“Since I love animals, I said to myself that I should take her home instead of leaving her as prey to foxes. We got used to each other. We never separated,” the man said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Nowadays, Garip is an important part of Mirzan’s family. As the widower, who has no children, admitted, he sees his swan friend as his own child.

Meanwhile, it appears that life on Mirzan’s farm is doing nothing but good for the health of Garip the swan. While swans, even those located in protected environments, rarely get to live to 30 years, Garip is already at least 37 years old and shows no signs of slowing down.

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