I have a wildlife zoo

7:30 in the morning.

The zoo wasn't open yet, but a man had already arrived at the entrance.

He was dressed in a dapper black trench coat, with a camera in a black leather case hanging on his chest, a black felt hat on his head, and long white hair swinging behind him, incredibly flamboyant.

If Lü Jiamu's unkempt hair made him look somewhat like an artist, this man exuded an artist's aura so strongly that one glance would make you think he was involved in the arts.

And in fact, that was indeed the case!

Zhuang Xiaobai was a young painter with a bit of fame, whose main subjects were natural landscapes and various animals.

Lately, he had been troubled, feeling that his creativity had hit a bottleneck and wanting to experience some new scenery, he had posted on Weibo asking his fans for suggestions on where to go for inspiration.

Some fans suggested he should visit the remote deep forests on the border, looking for tigers and leopards, saying that a painter needs to face danger head-on, to cultivate his mind in life-and-death situations, and that if he could make it back alive, his painting skills would definitely breakthrough, maybe even reaching the heights of a master.

Zhuang Xiaobai was speechless!

Though artists need to constantly expand their horizons and find inspiration, he was a painter, not an explorer. He usually just visited the scenic spots around the city, nowhere near bold enough to risk his life in the dense forests to seek traces of wild animals.

He wasn't very excited about any of the recommended places; while he was feeling indecisive and depressed, he saw a fan mention that there was a really nice Linhai Zoo in their area, and they sent him a few photos.

Zhuang Xiaobai had visited quite a few zoos, but how could he get inspired by the cold concrete cages, the lifeless atmosphere, the visitors who occasionally fed the animals trash, and the depressed animals performing under duress?

For someone with such sharp observational skills, he could more keenly feel the animals' suffering; a visit would leave him unsettled and melancholic for days, let alone create good artwork.

The photos of Linhai Zoo were completely different!

The environment seemed beautiful and full of life, the animals spirited and adorable; he was immediately captivated and after private messaging the fan to ask for more details about the place, he decided to come here to find inspiration.

Perhaps it's true that good things never come easy; upon his arrival in Linhai, he encountered heavy rain, and the zoo was closed, so he couldn't visit.

Zhuang Xiaobai stayed in his hotel for a few days, waiting for the rain to stop. Today, the zoo was finally open, and he couldn't wait to get up early, have breakfast, and arrive here, half an hour before the zoo would open. Currently, there were just a few scattered visitors at the entrance.

They were mostly retired old men and women who lived a relaxed and leisurely life, the kind who enjoyed strolling through the zoo so much that they had bought annual passes!

Since they often saw each other, they recognized one another and gathered to chat idly.

Noticing his distinctive and personal style, their curiosity was piqued, and they quietly discussed, "Hey, look at that young man over there. That little cape, that head of white hair, dressed up like an artist."

"He might actually be an artist."

Zhuang Xiaobai was used to being looked at by strangers with curious eyes and didn't mind much. He surveyed the environment around the zoo's entrance; the brick wall by the gate looked weathered, a testament to the years it had faced, not particularly luxurious looking.

He then waited patiently, pulling out his phone, fingers skimming the screen, as he read with interest the guides written by visitors who had been to Linhai Zoo.

Peafowl Lawn, all blue peafowl, can be skipped if short on time: Turn right from the plaza, and you'll see a spacious lawn where the peafowl live.

The feature is a simple wooden fence, which allows an unobstructed view of the peafowl, with the females generally being more timid and tending to hide behind the bushes.

There's one particularly active one that enjoys showing off its plumage when there are many visitors around, but loses interest when there are fewer guests. If you want to see the fanning of feathers, it is better to come after 10 a.m. on weekends.

Occasionally, a peafowl might fly into the square or onto the road. Be careful not to touch or feed them, or else you'll be warned over the loudspeakers.

The red panda exhibit is highly recommended, one of the must-see attractions: It's located in the bamboo forest, which houses the most adorable cuties of Linhai Zoo.

If you want to see them actively searching for food or climbing trees, it's best to come in the morning; if you prefer to see them lying motionless on tree trunks basking in the sun, you should wait until the afternoon.

If you can't find them, pay close attention to the shadows in the trees and the stone caves in the middle— these are the red pandas' most common hiding spots. The information boards describe various interesting behaviors of red pandas; reading them will give you a deeper understanding!

Animal keepers take time each day to give talks, and you're welcome to ask them any questions. With some luck, you might even encounter Zoo Director Fang Ye himself.

The tiger exhibit is a must-see attraction. If you can only choose one exhibit to visit, you can skip the red pandas, but not the tigers: First, the outdoor area is large, with a beautiful environment, adorned with various beautiful trees, and a lovely crescent moon pond, where the tigers play and swim when the weather is hot.

Then there are the tigers! A very beautiful big tiger, and cute white tigers too. There is an area on the lawn equipped with toys, meant for the white tigers to play with.

I've always believed that a zoo that doesn't actively promote conservation isn't really a zoo, and Linhai Zoo does a great job in this respect. The information boards in the tiger exhibit are very comprehensive and detailed.

After seeing them, I was deeply moved, and I wonder when we humans can truly achieve harmony with animals.

...

Zhuang Xiaobai, looking at the guide, couldn't wait to start the tour!

As for which exhibit to visit, since he arrived so early today, he had plenty of time to tour them all.

At that moment, the zoo gates were opened by the staff, and several chatting retirees perked up. They pulled out their annual passes, which were actually little booklets, and queued up to enter. Stay updated via empire

The ticket seller glanced up at him: "Adult ticket, one for 30, do you want to pay by scan or cash?"

"Scan."

Zhuang Xiaobai tapped his phone, brought up the payment code, beeped it on the collector machine, scanning of course being the more convenient option.

He casually inquired, "Why did those elders just go through without buying a ticket?"

The ticket seller handed him a ticket, replying deftly, "They have annual passes, one for 200. It's more economical if you come often. If you want to buy one, just prepare your ID card and a one-inch photo without a hat in advance."

Zhuang Xiaobai said politely, "Thank you."

Today, he was just here for an initial visit to check things out!

If he liked the place, he might stay in Linhai for a while longer, so buying an annual pass wouldn't be a problem.