Nguyen Hoang Binh, 48, who earns his living by selling lottery tickets in a wheelchair in Ho Chi Minh City, spends nearly a quarter of his daily income buying food for wild pigeons and sparrows.

Many people call the lottery ticket seller 'a friend of pigeons and birds.' 

Every morning, Binh travels in a wheelchair from his rented room to Le Van Tam Park in District 1, bringing a three-kilogram bag of cereals. He feeds the birds three times a day.

As soon as he arrives, flocks of pigeons and sparrows swoop down next to him to eat the cereals, creating a peaceful scene in the bustling city.

The scene delighted foreign visitors, who described it as "so cute" and remarked that "everyone [was] so kind."

Binh shared that he has been selling lottery tickets for over 20 years and has been feeding this flock of pigeons for seven to eight years.

“At first, I felt sorry for the sparrows, so I bought rice to feed them," Binh recounted.

"Pigeons then join.

"I shifted to buying grains, such as rice, corn, beans, and bran pellets, because they prefer these kinds."

He is worried that the birds are not full, so he drops in the park three times a day to feed them.

Binh said he regularly buys cereals at Da Kao Market in District 1, spending VND45,000 ($1.80) per day on three kilograms -- compared to his daily income of VND200,000 ($7.90) from selling around 200 lottery tickets.

Even on slow or rainy days, he still visits and feeds the birds.

Despite the expense, his compassion drives him to cut back on his own daily needs to care for them.

Although he does not know where the pigeons come from, he is familiar with their daily routine.

After enjoying the cereals, they will perch on a nearby building.

The birds seem to have become part of Binh’s life, and feeding them makes him happy.

Binh, born in Ho Chi Minh City, has been living with hemiplegia. With his parents passing away early, he has had to earn his livelihood on his own.

He previously endured a traumatic brain injury from an accident and frequently suffers from headaches.

Despite these challenges, Binh remains consistently optimistic.

Security guards at Le Van Tam Park and residents coming to the venue are familiar with Binh, who is occasionally joined by the residents to feed the pigeons.

Among them is Kim Phuong, a 49-year-old resident of Binh Thanh District. After she exercises in the park, her daughter picks her up, bringing a bag of bird feed.

As many people feed the pigeons, more of them flock to the park, swooping down whenever they see acquaintances, with some even perching on people’s hands.

Chau, a 68-year-old resident in District 3, often takes his grandchild to the park to feed the pigeons. The boy is always excited to give food to the birds.

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