I have a wildlife zoo

Chapter 37: 37 The Shortcut to Civilization

The water sprayed all over the computer screen, and Fang Ye felt awkward inside. He hurriedly grabbed some paper to wipe it off.

It was just that the muscleman's figure was too astonishing, giving him a strong first impression.

"Ahem, could you introduce yourself?"

The muscleman grinned, "My name is Meng Shi, I saw the recruitment notice for the zoo on a live stream... "

Meng Shi?

Fang Ye recalled for a moment and didn't remember seeing this name among the resumes submitted. Did he come directly?

If that was the case, this guy was either very bold or had specialized skills that made him a shoo-in for the job.

Otherwise, just the bus ride from the city here took almost an hour, and most people wouldn't waste their time like that.

So he asked, "Why do you want to apply for the position of an animal keeper? What do you think are your strengths?"

Meng Shi answered earnestly, "One reason is that I've liked tigers since I was little. I think they're particularly majestic, and the beautiful White Tiger at your zoo is very appealing. Also, the job of an animal keeper seems pretty interesting, so I want to give it a try.

As for strengths, I have a nutritionist certification, and animal diets need to be scientifically balanced, right? Plus, I work out. Exercise can actually be quite monotonous, but I can stick with it, so I won't lack patience and resilience in other things."

Fang Ye couldn't help but tease, "With all those muscles, I'd believe you if you said you were a gym coach!"

Meng Shi surprised, "The director noticed? I did actually own a gym and worked as a fitness coach."

Wow, a casual remark actually hit the nail on the head.

"So what about your gym, you're not running it anymore?"

"Yeah, I transferred it right after watching the livestream that day, and bought a ticket to Linhai right when I got home."

Fang Ye was utterly stunned and speechless for a while!

It seemed he was much like the original owner, living a comfortable life and focused single-mindedly on doing what he loved.

But then again, for a job like an animal keeper, you really have to like it to be good at it. You need to spend time and thought on the animals; otherwise, you can't get close and interact with them.

"Welcome to Linhai Zoo! If I didn't hire you, it would be a great sin indeed."

Fang Ye made a little joke, then seriously added, "Your physique is excessively strong! This means you are more threatening in the eyes of the animals, and they will be wary or even afraid of you. So you might need to spend more time than the average person to make the animals relax their guard and be friendly with you."

Meng Shi scratched his head, surprised that this was an issue.

He thought about how he occasionally saw cats and dogs he wanted to play with, but every time they glanced at him, they ran away incredibly fast.

He suddenly felt a bit disheartened.

Fang Ye laughed and consoled him, "Actually, there are not only downsides! As an animal keeper, sometimes you need to do some physical work, like installing perches in the exhibits. Plus, when dealing with unruly visitors, your muscles will come in handy to 'reason' with them."

It's similar to doctors in hospitals, with a gentle demeanor that's good for calming children, but it can also make some patients feel they can be easily bullied, leading to verbal abuse or even physical assault.

There are many eccentric visitors at the zoo! Uncivilized behavior occurs repeatedly.

Ignoring no-feeding signs, not tapping on the glass, and not using flash photography despite the glaring warning signs.

In such situations, a muscleman like Meng Shi has a clear advantage.

He doesn't even need to say much, just a pat on the shoulder, and the visitors will probably comprehend what "civilization" means.

After hearing this, Meng Shi chuckled.

Fang Ye said, "Okay, then let me briefly tell you about the work content of an animal keeper. Oh right, let me add you on WeChat, I'll send you some materials later, you can take a look to familiarize yourself... "

...

The recruitment drive temporarily eased the personnel shortfall brought on by the zoo's expansion.

By the time the new facilities are ready, these new employees should be well trained.

After all the recruitment tasks were completed, Fang Ye could finally breathe a sigh of relief and reopen the long-missed livestream.

Almost a week had passed since the last livestream, and he wondered if the netizens had missed him.

Upon opening the livestreaming room, he changed the title to "Your Zoo Director is back!"

"Eh, who are you, and why are you on my following list?"

"The missing person has returned!"

"Grandpa, come quick, the streamer you follow is live!"

"Zoo director, if you didn't start streaming again, I'd have to report you missing!"

"You've been gone for so long, what have you been up to recently?"

"Zoo director, has Jiaojiao gained a little weight lately?"

"Xiaoqiao's number one fan is here, Xiaoqiao I love you!"

"Wuuu, the mother of the little White Tiger has missed you to death! Show me, quick!"

"We don't want a male mommy, no male mommy!"

The news of the streaming session quickly spread among Linhai Zoo's fans, and soon the room was bustling and lively.

The sand-sculpture netizens were as spirited as ever!

Fang Ye looked at the barrage of messages and felt quite depressed, "How come it's all about missing the animals, does nobody miss me?"

"No (instant reply)"

"Yes (perfunctory)"

"Zoo director, I've missed you so much! Without your streams, my days were tasteless and sleepless!"

"Zoo director, when it comes to looks, which of the handsome guys and beautiful ladies here isn't better looking than you? If they don't miss the animals, why would they miss you? Am I right, everyone?"

"Right, so right, bro!"

Damn!

Fang Ye felt utterly unconvinced, shouting in his heart that he was the man nicknamed "Linhai's Wu Yanzu"!

Seeing that there were still a few netizens concerned about his well-being, he felt a bit relieved, and started to explain: "Brothers, let me first apologize to everyone, for disappearing like this for so long!

It's not that I didn't want to stream, it's just that things have been really hectic recently!

Top priority, exhibit renovation!

Reinforced concrete cages are common in most zoos on Blue Planet, what do you all think, do you get used to it, feel indifferent?

I personally hate it, can't stand it at all!

Animals living inside face an unchanging, monotonous, and narrow space that is just too suffocating! It's normal for them to be lethargic and without spirit, they may even develop stereotypic behavior. What is stereotypic behavior? Repetitive motions, bizarre actions, self-injury...

Even prisoners in jail get to have some fresh air each day, sometimes they're even organized to watch a movie!"

Fang Ye's words struck a chord with the netizens.

"It's indeed very pitiful to keep animals in such small spaces! I've seen a tiger pacing endlessly in a cage, looking so dispirited that it was unbearable to watch."

"I've been to a zoo where the tiger kept biting the cage, a bear was constantly hitting the bars, monkeys were biting and fighting each other, one had its tail broken, it was just like hell on earth."

"To think that repetitive motions could indicate a problem with an animal, I laugh at my past self who didn't know any better, thinking that this was just normal animal behavior..."

"After all, most people only visit a zoo occasionally. I really like animals, often visiting zoos, and it's only through exchanging information in forums with fellow enthusiasts that I gradually learned about stereotypic behavior! It actually reflects inadequate public education, as there's a general lack of awareness!"

"Yeah, zoos are supposed to take on the role of educational outreach, but in some, the animals are reduced to tools for shows and making money, where is the inclination to do any educational outreach..."