Kalar man walks long distances to bring water to wildlife

SULAYMANIYAH — Every morning and evening, Ihsan Muhsin, 69, from Rzgari subdistrict in Kalar, fills bottles with water, and carries them across long distances to reach places where birds and wild animals gather.

Speaking to 964media, Muhsin said he has been doing this for two years during the summer season, placing water in 17 spots he has prepared for animals and birds in the plains of Rzgari. “I carry bottles of water to these locations so the animals and birds can drink and cool down,” he said.

Muhsin explained that doves, sparrows, rabbits, and various other animals and birds come to drink from the containers. Even though he gets tired in this heat, he continues to do it: “I am so happy with this work that when I bring water to the birds.”

He added, “I fill the bottles with water at home and take them for the birds and animals. No matter the heat, I go every day.”

Similar activities have been seen across the region. In mid-July, forestry and environment police in Sulaymaniyah begun placing shallow water basins across multiple districts to help wild animals and birds cope with extreme heat and worsening water shortages.

The measures come as the Kurdistan Region faces unusually low rainfall this year, prompting widespread concern among farmers and rural residents. In several communities, residents have held communal prayers, known as Salat Al-Istisqa, to ask for rain.