April 24, 2018
'Bird whisperer' Razali Bin
Mohamad Habidin checks a salmon-crested cockatoo at Jurong Bird Park in
Singapore, where he is deputy head avian keeper
Deaf since childhood, Razali Bin
Mohamad Habidin has developed a closer bond with the creatures under his care
than any other keeper at Singapore's Jurong Bird Park, where other staff refer
to him simply as the "bird whisperer".
Razali, who lost 80 percent of
his hearing after falling ill as a baby, started working at the park over two
decades ago, and has risen to the position of deputy head avian keeper.
He communicates with the birds
through grunts, gestures and body languages and told AFP that he recognises the
birds by their "behaviours and personalities".
"All of them are my
friends," he added, communicating through a mix of gestures and Malay.
Other staff at the park have
dubbed the 48-year-old "the bird whisperer"—after Hollywood film
"The Horse Whisperer", starring Robert Redford as a trainer with a
gift for understanding horses.
"He has a way of
communicating with the birds that very few of us can," said assistant
curator Angelin Lim. "Just by a look, he knows whether or not the bird is
well."
Communication with his colleagues
can be more challenging than with the birds.
Razali leads about a dozen staff
and giving them instructions usually involves him making various complex hand
gestures, and then reading the lips of his colleagues when they respond.
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