Kindness · Denbecha, Ethiopia
Ethiopian boy, 12, brings sick chicken to hospital and wins national praise
Updated
Why did an Ethiopian boy take his chicken to hospital?
Twelve-year-old Markos Abaye took his sick chicken to Denbecha Primary Hospital in Ethiopia's Amhara region. A nurse's video of his visit drew 770,000 views on TikTok. The chicken was treated by a vet, and a poultry company said it would give Markos 100 chickens and training.
What happened?
Markos Abaye, 12, lives in rural Ethiopia and loves animals. When his chicken fell sick and did not get better at home, his uncle suggested getting professional help. Markos did not know there were vets in Denbecha, so he took the bird to the local hospital.
“She is wheezing,” he told nurse Umer Chane at Denbecha Primary Hospital in the Amhara region. The nurse explained that the hospital was for humans and that there are doctors who treat animals. Markos then took the chicken to a vet, where it was treated.
How did the story spread?
Umer Chane filmed the visit and shared it on TikTok. The video drew 770,000 views, and many Ethiopians were moved by Markos’s compassion. “I could see the kindness in his face,” the nurse told the BBC. He said some onlookers made fun of Markos.
Markos’s uncle and guardian, Kelemework Amogne, said Markos stopped studying and eating when the chicken was ill. Markos went to live with his uncle in August 2023, when conflict broke out in Amhara, and his grandparents gave him the chicken as a parting gift.
“My chicken is better now,” Markos told the BBC. He said he would give her the 12 eggs he had saved so she could hatch them.
What happened next?
After the story drew national attention, a local poultry company announced it would donate 100 chickens to Markos, along with training in poultry farming.
Sources & reporting notes
We checked the BBC's report of 19 June 2026, based on interviews with Markos, his uncle and the nurse who filmed the video. The poultry company's donation was an announcement; the report does not confirm delivery.
What changed
- Rewrote the article from its cited source and removed process, monitoring and outcome claims the source did not support.
- BBC News · 19 June 2026
Report by BBC Amharic and BBC Africa, with interviews with Markos, his uncle and nurse Umer Chane.
Have a correction or a confirmed update? Contact our editorial team.
Common questions
- What happened to Markos's chicken?
- The nurse explained that the hospital treats people and that there are doctors who treat animals. Markos then took the chicken to a vet, where it was treated. He told the BBC it was better.
- What support did Markos receive?
- After the story drew national attention, a local poultry company announced it would donate 100 chickens to Markos and provide training in poultry farming.