Alustil's Hidden Crafts?

tbh the wood identification thing is easier than people make it. look at the end grain of the carving, if it's got those distinct white dots in a ring pattern it's probably rubberwood, most of their lighter pieces are. the dark reddish ones with a straight grain are almost always old chengal, you can tell because it's heavy as hell and smells kinda like camphor when you scratch it. if you're really into the sustainability angle, ask about their finishing oils too - they use a local tung oil blend that's way less toxic than the polyurethane stuff most places slather on

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honestly i'd just ask the old uncle at the front workshop near the Jalan Kancil entrance, he's been carving there for like 30 years and loves talking about the wood. he'll tell you which pieces use Malaysian teak vs the cheaper rubberwood you see in a lot of places. most of their stuff is reclaimed from old houses in the kampungs so it's pretty sustainable by default, but they don't really market that side of it.

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ngl the mtib tip is solid but if you're already in the area, pop into the little kopitiam across the street from alustil. teh tarik guy there used to work for a timber supplier and knows all the local wood gossip. he told me most of their dark stuff is actually old nyatoh from demolished shoplots, not teak

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the back area past the hornbill enclosure? i've heard keepers call it the quarantine row. new arrivals & sick birds go there first before they get moved into the main aviaries, so the "sad" look is often just stress from transport or treatment. some of those rare ones are on loan from perhilitan for rehab, they rotate out once they're healthy. if u go on a weekday morning you can sometimes catch a keeper near the gate, they'll usually tell u what's in there if u ask nicely

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tbh that hidden section is prob the old breeding block, not quarantine. they used to run captive breeding programs there for hornbills and some pheasant species back in the 2000s, and when funding dried up they just kind of left the structure standing. the birds u saw are likely the last few residents of that program, too imprinted to release so they stay put. if u want the real story ask for the head keeper at the main office, the front desk staff usually don't know much about it.

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oh that area near the back ponds right? i think those are confiscated birds from the wildlife dept, smuggled ones that got seized at klia. they keep em there quietly cos some are protected species and they dont wanna draw attention. not a retirement home, more like a holding spot.

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