Tech-savvy Turkish shepherd herds goats with drone

MUGLA, Turkey

A technology-savvy Turkish shepherd in western Turkey uses a drone to herd his around 600 goats.

Cemil Coban is an unusual shepherd in the Bodrum district of Mugla province as he takes his drone with him every morning when he rides on his motorcycle to herd his goats in the rural area.

The 41-year-old shepherd is married with three children and uses the drone for control when the herd is dispersed over a wide area.

Coban told Anadolu Agency that he loves his job and has never been away from animals throughout his life.

Noting that shepherding is an ancestor occupation for him, Coban said he travels for kilometers with his animals every day.

“It was very difficult for me to travel such a long-distance every day. Binoculars helped me a lot at first. Then I bought a cross-country motorcycle,” he said.

“Now, I use drones in places where I cannot reach immediately by motorcycle,” he added.

He explained that his motorcycle and drone are very useful in herding animals and finding the lost ones.

“It is very difficult for me to manage 600 sheep and goats alone. Sometimes I can reach an area, normally accessed in an hour by walking, in a minute by drone,” he said.

Coban said his friends called him a “technological shepherd” as he uses technology for his profession.

“It is very nice to benefit from the opportunities of technology. I bought the drone through the internet [shopping] and learned how to use it [also] from the internet,” he added.

Emphasizing that he found peace while taking care of his animals, Coban said he was trying to raise his children with a love for animals.