The crested pelicans that a fisherman, Kurtulus Kilic, fed and raised from when they were infants, never leave his side.

Fishing in Lake Cildir, located between Ardahan and Kars, Kilic spotted two exhausted baby crested pelicans abandoned by their mother about three months ago in the Adalar locality.

Kilic took the baby pelicans on his boat and brought them to the fisherman’s restaurant. Since then, he formed close friendships with pelicans "Yigit" and "Omur", whom he named after his brother and child.

‘They come to me when they're hungry’

Fisherman Kilic told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the pelicans do not leave the premises and have become the mascot of his workplace.

Explaining that he sees pelicans as members of the family, Kılıc said:

"Their mother had left when they were babies. They were so exhausted and hungry when we saw them. They were close to death. When we brought them to the restaurant, we started feeding them with small fish. Now they're growing, they don't leave."

“Sometimes they come in, sometimes they go up on the rocks in front of our restaurant. They usually spend most of their time on the rocks in front of our restaurant. "

“When they are hungry, they come to me and I give them fish. Customers also show great interest in them, and they feed them."