Danang man spends over decade caring for 1,000 pigeons
Le Minh Hai has driven his motorbike over 10 kilometres for the past 13 years from home to East Sea Park in Son Tra District to take care of 1,000 pigeons that he calls ‘his children’.
Le Minh Hai and the doves at the East Sea Park
At 6 am everyday, Hai, 57, shows up at the Peace Bird Garden which was established in 2009 inside the East Sea Park at the end of Pham Van Dong Street and Vo Nguyen Giap Street.
His first job is to check if the pigeons have been stolen or attacked by other animals. He then cleans the garden and pigeon cages. At 7:30 am, he blows the whistle to call the birds to fly down to eat ‘breakfast.’
At around 4:30 pm, he feeds them again.
Every day, his flock of pigeons eat more than 30kg of rice. To make birds healthier and more fertile, he often mixes rice with green beans and corn.
"Pigeons are like chickens so we are afraid they can be susceptible to avian flu disease that could cause mass deaths. Therefore, I always closely monitor the status of the pigeons and take bird flu vaccines for them,” Hai said.
‘If one of the pigeons is sick or injured, I will keep it separate to take special care and wait until it is completely healthy before releasing it back into the flock."
Hai said the birds have strongly grown and are tolerant of the harsh climate of the central region.
After quitting his old job, Hai started taking care of the pigeons in 2010.
Thanks to his intermediate expertise in animal husbandry and being a veterinarian, he was first assigned to manage a flock of 300 pigeons. Currently, the figure has risen to 1,000 after over a decade.
During the Covid lockdown in 2020, he had to hand over work to the Management Board of the East Sea Park
“Days at home, I was restless, worried and missed the pigeons very much. Only when I am sick do I take a few days off and no matter if it's sunny or rainy, I'm here all year round,” he said.
Since its establishment, the Peace Bird Garden has become an attraction at East Sea Park, attracting more visitors to the city.
When visitors come there, he will instruct them on how to swing rice, walk gently and get acquainted with the pigeons.
Hai said he has proposed to the management board to buy more purebred birds to breed and minimise inbreeding.
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