2 | Tuesday, October 20, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Zoo: Animals’ enclosures given new look

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For the first time in several dec­ ades, Shen, 37, has been contacted by some of his former classmates, who told him they would visit the zoo. At the facility, a large board has been erected bearing images of Shen and some of the animals, including an elephant, a giraffe and a giant panda. Chinese characters on the board read: “Thank you for coming to take revenge on me.” It is not the first time the zoo has attempted to attract public atten­ tion. On Feb 5, it started to lives­ tream animals’ activities and the daily work of its employees. The first sessions were broadcast less than two weeks after the zoo was closed on Jan 24 due to the pandemic. To date, more than 13 million neti­ zens have followed the livestreams. They watch footage of pandas star­ ing blankly ahead, koalas sleeping all day and orangutans taking care of their family members. Many netizens posted that watch­ ing the animals doing nothing makes them feel relaxed and com­ forts them. They have also seen from the broadcasts how the work­ ers feed the animals, clean their enclosures and give them physical examinations. Shen said: “The zoo receives about 5 million visitors a year, but through livestreaming, more people can learn about animal protection. That’s the main purpose of these sessions.” After being closed for 51 days, and facing losses of more than 20 mil­ lion yuan ($2.9 million), when the zoo reopened in March, it received far fewer visitors than usual. It needs a daily income of about Breeders tell visitors about their work at Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY 200,000 yuan to operate smoothly. Shen said he became anxious about the animals’ welfare. pool in rocky ground and also vincial capital, the zoo is tending to “I walked through the zoo after it bought a small excavator to trans­ about 1,000 creatures that need was shut down. It was a sunny form the frequently­trodden area help. Some 60 percent of them are spring day, but all I could hear were We hope that visitors where the elephants take sand non­native species that will have to the sounds made by the animals,” he can establish an baths. remain at the zoo after being treat­ said. With help from Bosch Group, the ed. The remainder will be released “It should have been a time for emotional connection German multinational engineering in the wild when they recover. people to be outdoors enjoying the with the animals, and technology company, and a An “owl school” has been sunshine and for laughing children designer from the United Kingdom, opened to prepare the birds for to chase one another, but there were understand their the zoo also set up two giant clover­ their return to the wild. Every year, no such scenes this spring. The situations and start to shaped shading systems for the ele­ the zoo receives 60 to 70 owls from silence in the zoo made me feel sad.” phants to stay out of the sun and local residents, who think that the respect and protect take baths. birds need help. This is despite Food worries nature after they To make life more interesting for people being told that they should The zoo had to ask for outside the elephants, holes were dug in one not touch young owls when they help for some animals who were come to the zoo.” of the walls of their enclosure. Fruit see them in the wild. particularly fussy about their diets. Shen Zhijun, head of Hongshan was placed in boxes behind the However, owlets continue to In January, it prepared some meat, Forest Zoo in Nanjing, Jiangsu holes for the animals to discover. arrive. The birds live together at the fruit and grass, but was unable to province They have to use their trunks to school, learning how to catch food buy fresh fish and shrimp due to remove the fruit from the holes. after they are released. transportation problems — includ­ For the zoo’s monkeys, more than Over the years, Hongshan Forest ing road closures — caused by the Wolves continually paced around 20 kinds of tropical plants were Zoo has become popular among ani­ outbreak. a cage of less than 10 square meters, placed in their enclosure. mal lovers and has earned their Each day, the zoo needs some 24 and the elephants just lay on a con­ The plants must be non­poison­ respect for its professionalism and kilograms of fresh shrimp and fish crete surface in front of hordes of ous and not endanger the monkeys, caring approach. to feed its birds. noisy camera­toting visitors. but sometimes the animals pose a However, many social media plat­ Some of the birds, such as red­ Shen described the animals’ lives threat to the plants by being too forms that have contacted the zoo to crowned cranes, pelicans and fla­ as “boring, helpless and pathetic”, boisterous. propose cooperation projects have mingos, refused to eat frozen fish and set out to improve their condi­ To keep them away from the been rejected. Requests included and shrimp and showed signs of tions. plants, keepers have designed and allowing the animals to be touched anxiety. The elephants became the first in installed new toys and equipment to and for them to perform certain Many people offered to help, with the country to enjoy a manicure ser­ distract them. movements to entertain audiences. fish farmers offering free aquatic vice. Workers learned from their Since 2009, the zoo has renovated Shen said: “This simply makes produce, which was transported to counterparts at Dublin Zoo in Ire­ 19 animal enclosures, including fun of the animals ... they are not the zoo by a supermarket company. land how to beautify the animals’ those for wolves, koalas and tropical here to entertain us. Wild animals Food is not the only cause of con­ nails, and also just how important a birds. have their own way of life, and the cern for Shen. Since starting work at pool is for them. It has used 3D printing technolo­ best way to respect them is to allow the zoo in 2008, he has improved Shen said: “I was considering gy to replace a monkey’s front teeth, them to keep their lifestyles and not animals’ living conditions and tried abandoning the idea of building a provided a new beak for a red­ disturb them. to meet their psychological needs. pool for the elephants before I visit­ crowned crane involved in a fight “A zoo’s publicity should also be Nicknaming himself “King of the ed Dublin Zoo. However, I changed with another bird, and encouraged professional, provide knowledge Animals” on social media, Shen my mind after seeing just how com­ a baby chimpanzee removed from and raise awareness of animal pro­ patrolled the 68­hectare zoo almost fortable the elephants in Dublin its family after a series of disputes to tection.” every day in his first year, noticing were soaking and swimming in the reunite with it. He added that when it comes to that many of the animals appeared water.” The animal rescue center for zoos, there are usually two schools to be unhappy. He and his team managed to dig a Jiangsu, including Nanjing, the pro­ of thought. One, that there should be no zoos, as they keep animals captive, and the other that zoos are merely places for fun. The latter results in visitors bringing food to feed the animals and banging on the walls of their enclosures to scare them. Top: A koala and her baby are weighed at the zoo. Shows banned Above: A birthday cake is prepared for some of the animals. A total of 206 public zoos have PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY registered as members of the Chi­ nese Association of Zoological Gar­ dens, which estimates that there are “Noah’s Ark” to protect endangered ronment for both animals and some 300 zoos in the country. species, some of which may become humans, zoos should publicize the In 2010, the National Forestry and extinct were it not for the existence importance of habitats. Grassland Administration, then of zoos. He said the creation of a tropical known as the National Forestry In China, Milu deer, also known environment for the monkeys at his Administration, issued a regulation as Pere David’s deer, have been zoo is a good way to show visitors banning shows that allowed audi­ saved from extinction after being the concept and importance of habi­ ence members to touch or abuse reintroduced to the country from tats. animals. Three years later, the Min­ foreign zoos. “We hope that visitors can estab­ istry of Housing and Urban­Rural The Przewalski’s horse, or Mon­ lish an emotional connection with Development prohibited all kinds of golian wild horse, was also reintro­ the animals, understand their situa­ animal displays. duced to China from foreign zoos, tions and start to respect and pro­ However, to make a profit, some before being returned to the wild in tect nature after they come to the private zoos still take risks to stage Xinjiang Uygur autonomous zoo,” he added. such performances. region. Kindergarten children line up to greet pandas at the zoo. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Shen said a zoo should act as a Shen said that to protect the envi­ Guo Jun contributed to this story.