Lying on her back, the sheep struggled as a man approached to bandage her burned udders; the fire that ravaged southeast Türkiye last month had claimed hundreds of sheep; since then, Hasan Kızıl has been navigating the hilly roads in his van, treating traumatized animals and persuading farmers not to sell their injured sheep to the slaughterhouse.
The devastating blaze swept through the southeastern cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin on June 22, resulting in the loss of 15 lives. Experts suggest that faulty wiring may have caused the fire.
More than 1,000 sheep and goats died in the fire, according to the Agriculture Ministry, including those in the Mazıdağ area, 36 kilometers (22 miles) from Mardin.
"Most of them had their eyes completely closed, too swollen to see in front of them," the 29-year-old, who largely taught himself how to care for the animals, said while treating burns around blackened hooves and udders.
"Had it continued for a few more days, the spoiled milk would have caused septicemia," he said, referring to blood poisoning by bacteria. "We almost lost them."
Every day, Kızıl voluntarily visits farms to monitor the animals and convince farmers to keep their damaged herds.
Caring for injured and unproductive animals is a heavy burden for the young breeder, who owes TL 27,000 ($825) to the bank while also paying for medicine and hay.
Former kebab seller Mehmet Çelebioğlu, in his 30s, went into debt to buy 160 sheep and a few goats. Only about 40 remain, female sheep unable to produce milk and young goats orphaned by the fire.
"They were lying in the fields when the fire broke out. (Some) 120 sheep burned on the spot. Their eyes melted ... these are all that are left," he said.
"My brothers risked their lives to save them," added his 18-year-old sister Gulistan, recalling how the fire cut off the electricity and water supplies as the hot wind raged over the hills.
But selling the remaining stock is not an option for Çelebioğlu, originally from Adana, a large city in the south.
"Selling them? They'd pay me TL 2,000 to TL 3,000," he said.
"I've spent two years teaching myself this job and most of all, I love my animals."
The farmers' attachment to their sheep encouraged Kızıl to support them and reach out to disaster victims, as he did after treating injured animals following the massive earthquake that struck southeastern Türkiye in February 2023, killing 55,000 people.
Now a local star on Instagram, he is known for making braces and prostheses for disabled animals. More than 240,000 followers track his work rehabilitating foxes, cats and injured birds.
Recalling the night of the fire, he said: "It was a battlefield around here."
"The butchers were trying to grab the wounded animals and slaughter them while we were trying to keep them alive."
Images of the animals moved vets from several cities to rush to the scene voluntarily.
The municipality in Diyarbakir took in injured animals at its shelter, while others were sent to clinics in Izmir, west Türkiye, Adana and Istanbul.
"We are still fighting," said Kızıl, in a region where agriculture and livestock farming are the mainstay of the economy.
