Walking along, Mayor Bai asked Fang Ye some questions, such as why the ticket prices were so affordable and what the approximate revenue situation was.
Fang Ye answered honestly, saying that previously the zoo's facilities were not well developed, and there weren't many visitors to begin with, so raising the prices would only discourage them more! Now the zoo has a certain level of fame, and the various animal enclosures have been either rebuilt or are about to be finished, so they were planning to raise the ticket price to 30 soon.
The peafowl leisurely strolling on the grass attracted everyone's attention!
The reporters immediately began snapping photos "click click," capturing both the peafowl and the leaders.
Mayor Bai curiously asked, "These peafowl are left on the grass, aren't you afraid that they'll fly away?"
Fang Ye explained, "Peafowl, like chickens, can fly, but they mostly walk on the ground. Besides, there's a large area of green space here with grass, trees, and shrubs which make the environment more attractive, so they won't fly away."
As he spoke, a peafowl flew over to the plaza, landed near a flowerbed, and strolled around leisurely.
...Hmm, good! Very spirited!
Fang Ye casually added, "If they fly out, it's no big deal. For visitors, walking with peafowl is a novel experience that makes them feel closer to nature."
A slightly plump leader asked, "But what if the peafowl don't come back?"
Fang Ye laughed, "We have fixed feeding spots on the lawn; the peafowl eat there every day. They won't go too far, and when they're hungry, they naturally come back. If they don't want to return, an animal keeper can always invite them back."
So that's how it is!
The leaders nodded in succession, finding it very interesting.
Red panda exhibit.
From the moment they stepped into the bamboo grove, the leaders' eyes showed surprise—lush green bamboo, a babbling brook, an elegant bamboo bridge; the environment was too good!
"Zoo Director Fang, creating such an environment must have cost millions, right?"
Fang Ye vaguely replied, "That's right, it indeed cost quite a bit of money."
The natural materials in the system construction interface were originally cheap. Perhaps because bamboo grows quickly, it was even cheaper to the point of being unspeakable, with a whole patch costing only 10 green leaf coins, and the total wasn't much.
Seeing his vague reluctance to elaborate, the leaders guessed it might be even more expensive!
Fang Ye shared some knowledge about the matter, "This is food enrichment. In addition to regular feeding, we add some interesting activities... it can both exercise the animals and pass the time, preventing boredom.
Today's enrichment project involves shaping the red pandas' food into balls and then hiding them in various places like the grass, bushes, perches, and trees, allowing them to use their sense of smell to find the food."
While he was explaining, Chestnut scratched a small ball out of the grass and chomp chomp, ate it up.
"Today's enrichment project? Are there other types of enrichment as well?"
"We change it every day. The methods of enrichment are best when frequently changed to keep things fresh and interesting. If it's always the same, the stimulation gradually decreases.
One type of enrichment involves placing apples in a basket, which is then hung from a tree; the red pandas have to pull on a rope to get the apples. Another involves tying an apple to a perch with a rope; they have to stand up to eat it.
Since it's hot in the summer, there's also an enrichment involving frozen apples in ice bowls, so the apples are cool and fun to eat."
"Excellent, excellent. A zoo that thinks so much of its animals makes it easier for visitors to gain insights!"
Mayor Bai turned to a young tourist nearby and asked warmly, "How do you find the visit?"
The young visitor was somewhat restrained, "Pretty good!"
Another outgoing tourist gave a thumbs up and praised, "Hey, Linhai Zoo is the best zoo I've ever been to, these animals are too cute! I've already come three times, not only seeing adorable animals but also learning a lot! Such a great zoo, Mayor, you must give it your support!"
The tourist spoke with earnest emotion, to which Mayor Bai nodded slightly and smiled, "Good!"
The leaders took a serious look at the educational display boards and moved on.
Having briefly visited the zoo, they were once again amazed at the tiger exhibit.
It wasn't just large, but also beautifully designed!
Seeing Fang Ye, Jiaojiao happily ran over, lifted its paw, and high-fived him through the glass wall.
The spectators murmured in amazement, "Hey, this tiger is quite spirited!"
As they passed the tortoise exhibition area under construction, Fang Ye also recounted his experience of finding the Asian forest tortoise in the vegetable market and rescuing it, including the treatment process!
After listening attentively, Mayor Bai laughed, "Let's go, let's talk in the meeting room!"