KUCHING: Christine Ng Siek Ting, 21, looks like a K-pop singer but she is popular at Borneo Empurau Farm & Resorts Sdn Bhd located in Tarat, Serian not because of her looks.
It is because of her skills in taming birds. Her colleagues call her a bird whisperer.
“I started to love animals since I was four. I used to raise exotic animals at home like lizards and snakes. I also raise koi fish and dogs.
“After completing my Form 5 at SMK Dato Patinggi Haji Abdul Ghafur, Stampin, I took beauty specialist courses on nail, manicure, pedicure and facial treatment.
“Then I heard there was a vacancy for an animal breeder at Borneo Empurau Farm & Resorts Sdn. Bhd. I kept in touch with them and accepted the job here in May last year, ” the eldest of the five siblings told New Sarawak Tribune in an interview.
According to Ng, her daily routine is to feed all the animals at the farm but her focus is more on the birds.
The Kuching-born girl also has the skills to tame porcupines.
Asked why she chose the job, Ng said she was passionate about animals and wanted to make the public aware that animal and humans could live together if there was trust between them.
“Most people are ignorant about animals. Usually, they will hurt and even kill them.
“As a breeder, I want to let the public know that human beings and animals can understand one another. However, we need to build trust with them first.
“Animals have their own language that we need to understand,” she said.
Ng usually takes about 12 hours a day for a month or two to train a bird.
She said it was easy to train a young bird.
However, for an adult bird, the task of taming is a bit challenging as it takes years to communicate with it.
“The task of taming the birds will be easy if we understand them. You have to treat them like your children. You need to show them your love because they have thoughts and feelings too.
“They are like humans. If you treat them well, they will accept you well,” added Ng.
She said she regularly monitored the health of the birds and animals at the farm to prevent them from getting sick and dying.
“Most of them are species that are difficult to find,” she revealed.
Borneo Empurau Farm & Resorts Sdn Bhd, located about 50 kilometres from Kuching City, will be the focus of bird lovers when it opens to the public by the end of this year.
There are over 40 species of birds in the two-acre park. The farm will also house various exotic animal species such as snakes, hedgehogs, bats, forest chickens, rabbits and more.
The bird park at the farm is also the first to have a licence to care for deer.
