The story behind heart-warming photograph of shepherd girl in Turkey’s Rize

RİZE

Details have emerged of a photo taken in the Black Sea province of Rize showing a shepherd girl and her dog carrying a newborn goat and its mother in their backpacks, which went viral on social media.

The shepherd girl in the photo has been identified as 11-year-old Hamdu Sena Bilgin, and the photograph was taken in the village of Yağcılar, 10 kilometers away from the center of the İkizdere district of Rize.



The photo was taken while Bilgin was returning home with her sheep and goats after realizing one of the goats had started to give birth.

After the birth she put the newborn goat in her school bag and placed it on the back of her sheepdog, named “Tommy,” and took the mother goat in her own backpack. 


The photo, which spread rapidly on social media, was taken by Bilgin’s 15-year-old brother Ali Rahman, while she and her dog were struggling home through the snow.

The girl has said she was trying to carry the goats back to the barn after the surprise birth.



“When the goat suddenly gave birth, I used my school bag to carry them home. I put the baby goat in the backpack and made my dog wear it. I also placed the mother goat in the other bag and that’s how we got to the barn,” Bilgin said.