"Oh?" Fang Ye became concerned, "What's the situation? Is it plucking its own feathers? It can't be stereotypy, can it?"
He Yifei explained, "Jingwen is usually very outgoing and likes interacting with visitors, but the past few days, it doesn't seem as eager to respond when visitors greet it. Sometimes it even turns its back and broods by itself. Playing music to comfort it doesn't seem to work either, and it pecked at Xiaozhi when it lost its temper last time."
Fang Ye stroked his chin, slightly troubled. Animal thoughts are difficult to guess. Who knows why it suddenly became unhappy.
He thought of many possible reasons. Could it be the feed? Homesickness? Poor enclosure environment? Weather too hot? Did some visitor upset it during their visit?
He speculated, "When you've been feeding them recently, have you been treating them all the same? You haven't been favoring anyone, have you?"
"I should think not? I pay quite close attention to that," He Yifei pondered and recalled uncertainly, "The day before yesterday, when I was distributing walnuts, I think I gave a smaller one to Xiaowen. Could it be upset over that? Should we give it a bit more to eat today?"
"Hmm, what's the feed today?"
"Today we have steamed corn bread, beef, corn, strawberries, rapeseed, and peanuts."
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That's why there needs to be some protein in their feed; aside from beef, sometimes they mix in some cooked chicken egg or something in the steamed corn bread.
Fang Ye thought for a moment and said, "When it's time to eat, while the others aren't paying attention, secretly give it an extra strawberry. Coddle it a bit, but make sure the other birds don't see. If they do, then give them each an extra one too. Keep a close eye on things, and I'll come and take a look this afternoon."
He Yifei took note and responded, "All right!"
Fang Ye then turned his gaze to another keeper, who had long hair like an artist, and asked, "Brother Lü, how have the macaques been these past few days?"
Brother Lü, whose real name is Lü Jiamu, is one of the more experienced staff in the zoo and has been responsible for the macaques for seven years. While other animal keepers might rotate their duties, he has consistently been in charge of the macaques because this species is intelligent and recognizes individuals.
Recognizing individuals doesn't mean affection, but rather not bullying them. If a new keeper takes over, showing the slightest sign of fear or unfamiliarity, the astute macaques will immediately sense this change in emotion and become stubborn and unruly.
They'll fight over food during feeding times, refuse to return to their enclosures when they're supposed to, and it's utterly impossible to catch them when they need to be weighed or given injections. They might even turn around and mock you with playful teasing.
When the perches on Monkey Mountain were first erected, the monkeys were ecstatic, spending all their energy playing on them with no interest in fighting.
With something to play with, their mood improved, and even those who normally didn't get along seemed to tolerate each other more. The group relationships became a lot more harmonious for a while.
But after some time, the perches lost their initial appeal.
Moreover, July to November is the breeding season for monkeys, primarily because there is an abundance of food in the fall. With plenty of food, they can mate freely. During this time, they are physically strong and more prone to conflict as they vie for mates and resources. The battle for the title of Monkey King usually happens then.
Of course, captive monkeys aren't worried about food, so they are loose all year round, but they do get more restless during the autumn season instinctively.
Monkeys like Black Claws, who ambitiously covet the title of Monkey King, begin to get restless, seeking friction and wanting to fight with White Brow.
Fang Ye then asked Guan Shan, "Any recent issues with the red pandas?"
Guan Shan replied somewhat dejectedly, "Director, yesterday a crow flew over, stole an apple, and pecked at Red Bean's tail a few times. I chased it away after it snatched a few tufts of fur, but I can't keep doing this every day. How should we deal with this?"
Fang Ye furrowed his brows, "Damn, pushing its luck!"
Stealing an apple is one thing, but pecking at a red panda's tail? Doesn't it know that red pandas are our zoo's treasures?
This needs to be handled.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "Next time the crows show up, call me, and I'll come chase them away."
Guan Shan was confused: ?????
I chase or you chase, what's the difference?
There indeed is a difference!
Fang Ye planned to use his Deterrence skills to give the crows a good scare and make a lasting impression on them, to see if they would dare to bully the red pandas again.