The very first bird that I had was given to me by a nun named Anila Thubten Chonyid when I was very young.

I have always loved birds. I find that they each have their own little personalities... they have their own temperaments, likes and dislikes, cliques, habits, attitudes etc. I always want to provide them with the very best, especially for those who have been abused or neglected in pet shops. Sad to say but most people don't find birds as cute as other animals like dogs, cats or even hamsters so many people don't think about rescuing birds or helping them.

The last bird that I invited back to the aviary was a blue budgie. I got him from a pet store in Midvalley. He was bullied by the other birds, and kept to himself at the corner of a shared bird cage. The bullying had also made him quite aggressive whenever another bird flew close to him, he would strike out at them. His beak was deformed and overgrown, which made it hard for him to eat food and he was noticeably smaller than the rest. I knew that no one would take him in, and that he wouldn't have survived for very long.

Some people ask why I buy animals from shops, and whether that just encourages the trade of live animals. What I say is, the amount that we buy is insignificant and even if we stop, it will not stop people from catching the birds and selling them. However, by buying the birds from them and letting them know we are going release them and/or take care of them, we will be an example of being kind to animals.

Back in 2009, I moved into Tsem Ladrang in Kuala Lumpur, JP built an aviary which was 40ft by 7ft in the garden. It was built in a way to allow the birds to stretch their wings and fly around. The aviary had lots of fresh water, fresh food, Dharma music playing in the background, many natural wooden perches, mirrors, hanging toys, ropes, uncovered space for rain to enter etc. It was a great place to rescue and rehabilitate many, many birds... like a mini sanctuary in the city!

The birds in the Ladrang aviary are not released as they are quite tame and would probably not survive outside. However, wild birds that come to us injured will be nursed back to health and released back to nature.

At Kechara Forest Retreat, Beng Kooi took a little over 4 weeks to build an aviary that is right next to the Ladrang. The aviary is over 15 feet in height and over 4000 sq ft!! She designed and built it in such a way that it didn't destroy the original jungle land and trees, but it's enclosed to protect the birds from other animals like boars, snakes and dogs. It also has some natural pools of water, and lots of toys and mirrors to keep them active, and the floor of the aviary is soft sand so if they choose to land on the ground, which is safe from predators, they don't have to stand on hard concrete. The very best that we can do is to create a living environment that is most similar to their natural environment.

Right now at the KFR aviary, there are 23 birds:

•Cockatiels x 17
•Malaysian Parrot x 1
•Rescued Blue Budgie x 1
•Cockatoos x 2 (Names: Drolka & Dechog)
•Rescued African Grey x 2 (Names: Jamyang & Aki aka "Old Man")

We also have 2 tortoises called Menlha (male) and Kadro (female) who live in the aviary with our birds.

Below is a video on the aviary, a few pictures of the birds and the aviary, and a short description of each bird for anyone who's interested. ENJOY!!!

Tsem Rinpoche

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