Liu Xueqing felt very intrigued and whispered to Yingying's father, "Zoos really are different now. Even using loudspeakers to make announcements, that's so fun. I almost wanted to say something myself. Did you see how embarrassed that person was when they walked away? I think this approach is really good for the animals, and it helps children learn to take better care of them."
Feeding has always been a traditional image people have of zoos. Although there has been constant promotion that feeding animals is not a civil behavior and people should not feed them, many zoos still make it a business, selling feed for visitors to buy and give to the animals.
Even if the feed provided for feeding is part of the animals' regular diets, the quantity visitors are allowed to feed is controlled. However, the primary duty of a zoo should be educational, to convey the concepts of respecting animals and caring for nature to visitors.
Selling feed leads visitors to this line of reasoning: If I am buying your food to feed the animals, why can't I use my own food or snacks? What's more, you're selling it at such a high price. A little feed couldn't hurt, right?
To prevent random feeding, the best method is to ban feeding entirely or to strictly limit the objects of feeding, without offering feed for a price. You definitely can't feed elephants, tigers, giraffes, and the like. You might allow feeding pigs or rabbits under the guidance of an animal keeper. Otherwise, visitors won't take it seriously even if you put up signs.
By consistently demonstrating this firm stance through actions, gradually, the public will form the right concept and will no longer treat feeding animals as an amusement.
The parent in grey wasn't a bad person, just an average parent who hadn't been given the right message by the zoos he had visited before, making him think that feeding was a normal thing.
Including the visitors just now, many did not take it seriously, and there were even a few who thought about feeding. This is what happens when there are a lot of visitors.
After this lesson, not just the parent in grey, but all visitors who experienced this will know not to casually feed animals in the zoo.
"That's indeed very good," Yingying's father nodded in agreement, then added with some regret, "But not all zoos are like this now. There's a zoo in my hometown. I used to go there a lot as a kid, and I've visited it during college vacations too. I've also been to a zoo in a classmate's town. Compared to this place, it's like night and day; the differences are apparent at first glance.
I think the main thing is the attitude towards animals, the philosophy. This place is miles ahead."
Liu Xueqing was a bit surprised, then became cheerful: "We've found a good spot here. We can bring Yingying and your parents here to play often in the future."
"Yeah, I wonder if they have any kind of annual pass or something."
After admiring the peafowl, the family continued on their way, and Yingying was put back on the ground—carrying her the whole time was quite tiring.
After walking a bit, they arrived at the bamboo forest. Liu Xueqing adjusted her daughter's backpack and smiled, "Yingying, do you see the bamboo forest? Your favorite pandas are in there."
"Panda! Panda!" Yingying was so excited she let go of her mother's hand and started running ahead.
"Hey, slow down, sweetheart. Mommy can't keep up," Liu Xueqing called after her.
Chestnut didn't hide deliberately; it had grown quite accustomed to the visitors' presence, climbing up to the flat rock at the top of the cave and sprawling on it.
"Eh, what's this red panda going to do?"
"Bask in the sun?"
"But it's not even sunny right now."
The visitors were quite curious.
Chestnut put its two black paws to its mouth and licked the pads with its tongue, the black edges of its paws faintly revealing a few white tips.
After wetting its paws, Chestnut closed its eyes and placed the paws on its face, starting with the white fur around its nose, gradually spreading to its eyes, forehead, and ears, rubbing repeatedly as if washing its face.
Its head swayed left and right in coordination with the movements of its paws.
"The red panda is washing its face, how cute!"
"I just thought this action looked familiar. It took me a while to realize this is just like the eye exercises we used to do at school!"
"Haha, it really does! But now I've forgotten the beginning of those exercises and only remember that the last part was about pressing around the eye sockets."
"It reminds me of a song lyric, 'Follow me with a slow motion with your left hand, right hand, then a replay with your right hand, left hand,'"
After washing its face for quite a while, Chestnut adjusted its posture, shifting from lying down to sitting, its plump black bottom resembling a cushion. One foot slightly lifted, making room for its tail, the ringed tail curled in front of its body.
Some visitors couldn't help but laugh, "That's just like the position my cat takes when licking its butt!"
Chestnut stuck out its tongue to lick a paw, squinting its eyes, slowly massaging its chubby cheeks. The delicate face with white fur looked like fluffy, soft dough, pushed by its paws, the flesh spreading outwards.
Concentrating and patiently rubbing every corner of its cheeks!
Yingying had forgotten her disappointment at not seeing the giant panda, her little mouth agape in awe, transfixed by the sight.