Wilderness Survival with Druid System

Chapter 315: Chapter 4: Observations at the Private Zoo

Because it’s winter, the entire zoo is covered in thick snow.

Logically, the zoo should feel quite lifeless under such conditions.

But after Chen Wen got out of the car, his eyes were drawn to a simple-looking snowman.

Although the snowman wasn’t expertly made, it had a nose and eyes in place.

It looked quite festive.

With a red scarf around its neck, it added even more cheerfulness.

Aside from the snowman, Chen Wen also noticed carefully cleared pathways within the courtyard.

The paths were paved with pebbles, with white, black, and green colors complementing each other.

Forming a unique pattern; it’s the emblem of the Hua Country Wildlife Conservation Association.

A panda with a cute and endearing expression.

”Very homely.”

Chen Wen couldn’t help but say aloud.

The young man at the back was assisting Liu Yu with the luggage; upon hearing this, he glanced appreciatively at Chen Wen, ”That’s because the owner here really knows how to live.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen quickly asked, ”Bro, are you the director?”

”No, no, I’m just interning here.”

The young man chuckled gently, ”To be honest, because of the atmosphere here, I’m quite reluctant to leave, but it’s a shame. If you come next year around this time, you won’t see me.”

”Then why not stay?”

Chen Wen helped the young man with the luggage, smiling as he said, ”If you like it, why not stay?”

Upon hearing this, the young man suddenly became a bit melancholic: ”Oh, the poetry and the distance in life are always out of reach. We still have to face the immediate hardships!”

Chen Wen broke the somber mood, ”Hey buddy, I’m a science student, say something I can understand.”

”Oh, oh, I mean the salary here is low, and the benefits are average, so people don’t want to stay.”

The young man laughed.

Pulling the luggage, the two followed Liu Yu into the largest building in the zoo.

To say it’s the largest, it’s actually just a three-story bungalow.

Presumably is the reception hall and staff dormitory.

Liu Yu said, ”I need to see a friend, so I won’t be with you in the morning. Chen, you follow Sun and tour around the zoo. When you need to meet your animal friends, let him take you.”

Chen Wen hurriedly replied.

After Liu Yu left, Sun seemed much more relaxed.

Chen Wen looked at him curiously, ”Why do you seem quite afraid of Mr. Liu?”

”Oh, he’s a legendary adventurer, also my idol. If I meet him, I’m definitely going to be nervous.”

Sun laughed.

”Let’s go, let’s put our bags down first, then I’ll show you the environment.”

Then Sun added, ”You’re amazing. It’s my first time seeing someone handle beast taming with such ease, even more than our director!”

Chen Wen felt a spark of interest, ”Is your director also skilled at beast taming?”

”Of course!”

Sun said, ”Do you know that cartoon from childhood, called ’The Mysterious Warrior’?”

Chen Wen nodded.

How could he forget such childhood memories?

During the winter holidays, he’d always wait eagerly by the anime channel to watch cartoons.

’The Mysterious Warrior,’ ’Pleasant Goat,’ ’Super Beast Armed,’ he’d watch them over and over again.

”Well, now it’s easy to explain. Nangong Wenya from the show seems to be drawn based on our director.”

Sun laughed, ”We often take in animals that have inadvertently wandered into human society, and some injured ones. Our director has a knack for getting along well with these animals, and many ferocious ones become tame the moment they are near him.”

”I remember most vividly the time when I first came here. I saw our director petting the head of a Northeast Tiger, goodness, he made that tiger as docile as a cat.”

Chen Wen nodded slightly, able to make a Northeast Tiger so obedient shows real prowess.

After a brief chat, the two put their luggage down.

Then, Chen Wen began to tour the zoo under Sun’s guidance.

They reached outside the smaller building, where they saw various kinds of structures.

There were glass rooms, netted rooms, and other uniquely shaped spaces.

The interior constructions of the zoo, by far, look much more pleasant than the rundown outer gates.

It seems newly renovated, with careful thought put into the interior decor throughout the zoo.

All aligned with the animal’s outdoor survival environments.

For example, standing where Chen Wen was, next to a glass room housing a few red-bellied pheasants.

The room mainly decorated with scattered trees and lush shrubs. At first glance, it’s not hard to see that it mimics the living environment of the red-bellied pheasant.

Edge sparse forest shrub zone.

Moreover, the food provided is scattered on the ground, consisting of soybeans and other agricultural crops.

Sun noticed Chen Wen’s gaze and explained by the side, ”These red-bellied pheasants were mistakenly caught by farmers. After communication through the association, we brought them back. After some simple observations, they’ll be released in a couple of days.”

Chen Wen nodded slightly.

”Wild animals that inadvertently wander into human society or get mistakenly caught are released back into the wild after ensuring they’re free of disease or injury, so they are mainly reared in a free-range manner, closely simulating the wild environment.”

”For wild animals that aren’t released, like the ones you sent here, they undergo meticulous care.”

Sun said, ”Our director is adept at enrichment, oh, that’s a term in our field referring to enriching the lives of captive wild animals by fulfilling their physiological and psychological needs, promoting the display of more natural behaviors through a series of measures.”

Chen Wen clicked his tongue in wonder. He truly didn’t expect the zoo to have so many intricacies.

Seeing Chen Wen not very familiar with zoos, Sun began to explain, ”It is internationally recognized that animals should enjoy the five freedoms of welfare: the freedom from hunger, thirst, and malnutrition; the freedom from fear and distress; the freedom from physical discomfort and improper environments; the freedom from pain, injury, and disease; and the freedom to express normal behavior traits.”

”Although it sounds somewhat absurd to discuss freedom in a zoo, our director has said that a good enrichment program can indeed make animals in the zoo feel that sense of freedom, expressing their instincts as they do in the wild.”

Chen Wen laughed, ”That’s very professional. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to meeting your director. Based only on your descriptions, it’s hard for me to imagine what kind of person he is.”

Sun heard this and smiled, ”You’ll be in for a surprise.”

Then, the two passed along several vacant animal rooms.

”These vacant rooms are for those animals that have already been released into nature. Once they’re gone, their rooms empty naturally, waiting for the next batch of animals to arrive.”

Sun said.

Chen Wen nodded slightly.

These rooms are meticulously arranged, including the colors on the walls and the surrounding patterns.

All align closely with the natural environment.

You can even spot some local plants.

”All these rooms are heated. Even though it’s the harsh winter of Northeast Province here, some rooms you enter will feel as warm as Hawaii.”

Sun proudly announced.

”It’s carefully done.”

Chen Wen now felt that Liu Yu seemed genuinely reliable.

To find such a gem of a zoo among many others in the country.

It’s not something just anyone can achieve.

”Looks like we can have a good tour around here.”

Chen Wen said with a smile, his earlier notions of his animal friends going hungry or being poorly rested vanished completely.

”Absolutely, I also really want to show you the charm of this zoo.”

Sun said with a smile.