I have a wildlife zoo

Chapter 29: 29: Mystery Gift Pack

Fang Ye pulled out the despondent Big Salted Fish from the system space.

He waved it in front of the two wolves. "Hey, do you guys like this?"

The wolves' attention was immediately captured; they turned their heads and moved closer to sniff at it.

Then, like throwing a frisbee, Fang Ye hurled the salted fish about a meter away with a "swoosh".

Charcoal's eyes sparkled, and he pounced on the fish excitedly, pressing it down with his paws and sticking his butt high into the air, clawing and biting Big Salted Fish.

Surprisingly, it was quite a hit!

Mizzle initially propped herself up, appearing somewhat interested.

However, seeing Charcoal pounce, she laid back down on the ground, like a serene big sister, quietly watching him play.

Hey!

Seeing Charcoal having a ball, Fang Ye felt both happy and somewhat guilty.

The environment he provided them with was far too poor.

Traditional thinking led people to assume that zoos provided shelter for animals, sparing them the need to travel for food—a perceived act of kindness.

In truth, through lengthy evolution, animals have encoded an array of competencies into their genes: tracking and hunting prey, courtship and playing, building nests and raising offspring… In captivity, they seldom have the opportunity to use their abilities and express their nature.

This is not a blessing but a form of deprivation.

In many of the earliest zoos, animals had to face human environments that were starkly different from their natural ones day after day, such as the constant presence of visitors, and the monotony of their enclosures.

Over time, this could lead to boredom, depression, and even breakdown under the immense pressure.

The specific manifestations are various stereotypical behaviors.

For instance, a very typical one is elephants that sway their heads and trudge back and forth, as if they were drunk.

Uninformed visitors might think the elephants are dancing and happily take photos. They would say to children, "Look, isn't the elephant so much fun?"

In fact, it's an animal going mad from the narrow space and loneliness, turned into a living dead performing the same motion over and over.

More visually apparent is the stereotypical behavior in birds, many of which result in self-harm.

For example, they may peck at their feathers or even pluck them out till they are bleeding.

Enrichment is the compensation made by humans after recognizing stereotypical behavior and gradually becoming aware of animal welfare.

It's about creating opportunities for the animals to choose, empowering them to deal with stimulating challenges and giving back what they should have.

A toy like Big Salted Fish is a simple form of enrichment.

The texture, smell, and shape are very intriguing and fun for them, having never seen such an object before.

"Alright, you guys keep playing! I'm off!" Fang Ye said his goodbyes and left.

After some thought, he purchased a dozen decorative deadwood logs from the system's construction interface and placed two in each animal's enclosure.

After all, in the system, these natural decorations were the cheapest, costing only 10 green leaf coins each.

Deadwood is an excellent enrichment tool! Plus, it's easy to source.

Carnivores could sharpen their claws on it, while those who didn't need to sharpen claws could rub against it, itch, and sniff.

While they couldn't build pavilions immediately, they could at least use the deadwood to enrich the animals' living environment.

…

"La la la, off to play at the zoo! To see the foxes, to see the tigers!"

Tang Xiaoxin hopped in place a couple of times, adjusting the straps of her bear backpack to fit snugly on her shoulders.

Little Blackie lay on the shoe rack, watching her bouncy ponytails seriously, nodding his head up and down continuously.

"Rúa, big tiger!"

Tang Xiaoxin made a funny face at Little Blackie out of excitement, lifted him up, and happily rubbed her face against him.

However, Little Blackie wasn't very fond of this affectionate interaction, rolling his eyes as he was petted, then slowly and firmly pushing her face away with his paw.

"Hmph, you stinky cat, I won't bother with you anymore! I'm leaving, remember to be good at home!"

Tang Xiaoxin was used to Little Blackie's indifference, rubbed his head, and cheerfully ran out.

After seeing that very charismatic fox in a video, especially after finding out it was from a local zoo, she took special interest, bookmarking the livestream channel.

Although she was tempted to visit, hearing her dad say that the zoo was nearly out of business made her hesitate.

But then a surprise appeared, Linhai Zoo actually got a new baby White Tiger! So cute and so young when it was just born!

Who could resist that!

The moment Tang Xiaoxin saw the super cute baby White Tiger, she fell in love with it.

Those who live near the river have the first access to the moon, and being a local, she had the advantage of proximity, missing out would be a huge loss!

Not only did she want to go, but she also wanted to call her best friend!

Unfortunately, after asking around, her friend had tutoring classes today and had no time, so she had to go by herself.

She had already checked the route online in advance.

Catch the number 27 bus from the stop near her home for 3 stations, then transfer to the number 35 bus, and stay on till the end of the line.

While waiting for the number 35 bus, Tang Xiaoxin was somewhat surprised.

Why were all the people around her elderly men and women, carrying baskets or pushing carts?

She looked at the bus stop sign and gradually understood.

The penultimate stop was Linhai Zoo, and the fifth from last was the farmers' market.

They were definitely going shopping for groceries.

...

At this time, Fang Ye was carrying out his usual routine inspection, observing between the different enclosures.

The purchased deadwood decorations had been placed in the animals' enclosures.

It seemed every kind of animal liked them, as they appeared more active than usual!

The placed deadwood seemed to awaken some of their instincts.

Jiaojiao was stepping on a log, earnestly sharpening her claws and leaving very clear white marks on the bark.

[Amur Tiger: Jiaojiao

Mood: Good]

Fang Ye's mood also lightened, "Not bad, the effect is good!"

To sharpen a tiger's claws, the best thing is a vertical tree trunk or a wooden post, which is more comfortable to scratch on.

The reason is simple, because that's how they do it in their natural environment!

Not only can they sharpen their claws, but the scratch marks and residual scent on the tree also mark their territory.

As he was admiring, an uncertain voice came from behind, "Zookeeper?"

Fang Ye turned around, oh!

A loli about one meter fifty in height, a round head, smooth twin ponytails hanging on either side, dressed in student's blue clothes and skirt, with eyes full of curiosity, excitement, and a tiny bit of nervousness.

A feeling like seeing an idol?

Fang Ye grinned, then asked with some curiosity, "Little buddy, do you recognize me?"

"Yes, yes! Zookeeper, I came here after seeing your livestream, the baby White Tiger is so cute!"

Tang Xiaoxin nodded vigorously, excitedly asking a barrage of questions, "How's the baby White Tiger now? Can the fox really understand what you say? Why are you on such good terms with the big tiger?"

Just then, the system suddenly made a noise.

"Ding! As fame grows, there are now visitors coming specifically for Linhai Zoo, a step worth celebrating! Congratulations Host, you have received a Mystery Gift Pack*1!"