"Animals don't tend to be as judgmental as humans. Although in that same vein, sometimes the loyalty that humans can exhibit is far greater. In some ways, animals remind me of the life I used to lead — one with less choice, less knowing. It's not something that I resent in of itself, but it's a different way of life," says Ishiah, who also glances towards the birds, holding a hand out in time for a songbird to land on his finger. "It's hard not to appreciate the birds' songs, however. Between their musicality and their flight, they have always been my favorite animals to live alongside."