I have a wildlife zoo

Animals raised together in the zoo won't always get along harmoniously; fighting and competing for food is the norm.

Even Qingtian and Sunshine, the two brothers, would fight over a banana for half a day, and Red Bean would act fiercely towards Chestnut just to eat an extra piece of apple.

As long as these conflicts remain within reasonable limits, animal keepers do not intervene, as such competition also helps the animals stay vigorous.

After eating and drinking his fill, Sun Dasheng felt lazy and content, leisurely strolling in the snow.

He walked up to a rock, pressing his cheek against it and rubbing it!

It seemed he was quite satisfied with his meal.

Walking on, his upper body grew lower and lower until his chin scraped against the snow!

Taking advantage of the momentum, he flipped over, exposing his fluffy belly, which looked like a soft cotton candy.

With all four paws in the air, and his plump waist—barely visible—as the axis, he twisted left and then right, rolling back and forth!

His eyes squinted, resembling a pampered fat cat.

He wanted a hug, a hug full of love!

Entertaining himself, he played with immense joy.

This immediately struck a chord with the visitors, melting their hearts!

"Awei's dead!"

"Mom, where's the medic, quick, give me a med pack! I can't take it anymore!"

"Hahaha, indeed Pallas's cat is a cat! So fierce yet so adorable."

"So cute! If the zoo had a Tibetan fox as well, then the two emotes giants would be all set."

"I'm more hoping for a snow leopard! Haven't seen a snow leopard yet."

"Pallas's cat is really so simple-minded and cute."

After the two Sun finished their meat, they rested, with Sun Dasheng hiding in the crevice of rocks, and Sun Yuanxiao going back to the back house.

Amamiya Kokoro took various poses of the adorable Pallas's cat, leaving the place reluctantly.

...

They had lunch at the animal restaurant at noon and then visited the Giant Beast Area.

The rhinoceros exhibit was now completed!

The sunlight sprinkled on the grassland, and the four southern white rhinoceroses were leisurely roaming in the activity field.

Coming from Africa, the southern white rhinoceroses didn't have a snowy environment crafted for them; their habitat mainly consisted of green grasslands, yellow sand, and murky mud pits.

Anzu said, "Wow, look at them fighting!"

In the direction Anzu pointed, two rhinoceroses were locking horns!

Their huge bodies, covered in armor-like thick skin, resembled two armored vehicles.

They lowered their massive heads, their mouths nearly touching the ground, using the large horns on their noses to butt heads with each other.

However, it seemed more like playful fighting rather than serious combat, as they were not very aggressive.

They held a standoff for a while before one rhinoceros, swishing its tail, started pushing forward, and the other gradually retreated.

After retreating two or three meters, both rhinoceroses stopped.

The retreating rhinoceros flicked its ears and turned its head, as if acknowledging the other's strength, and walked off to the side.

"Phew~"

Amamiya Kokoro let out a sigh of relief.

She had been quite afraid they would really fight!

Those gleaming, pointy horns looked as fierce as power drills.

While the two rhinoceroses were locking horns, a third one came over to watch the commotion.

Watching their fight end, they paired up again and locked horns with the victor.

It seemed to be an everyday recreational activity for these rhinoceri!

The rhino that finished fighting approached a mud pit and walked a short distance into it.

Then it began rolling around inside, coating itself in mud.

Though a rhino's hide is thick like a sturdy armor, appearing highly defensive, the skin in its folds is delicate, with blood vessels and nerves, and is often bitten by insects and infested with parasites.

Therefore, taking a spin in a mud pit and having a mud bath is an indispensable daily activity for these rhinoceri.

It not only protects them from the sun but also shields their skin from insect bites.

Seeing an animal keeper surrounded by people and explaining something, I also moved closer to join the excitement.

"Do you all know the meaning of the phrase 'telepathy between two loving hearts'?"

This question was simple, and immediately a tourist answered, "It means that both parties can understand each other's thoughts and feelings."

The animal keeper smiled and said, "Correct, this comes from Li Shangyin's 'Untitled'; the body lacks the wings of a colorful phoenix for dual flight, but the heart's telepathy resonates even in silence. Initially, it referred to lovers having a mutual understanding, but later the meaning broadened.

'Telepathy' refers to the rhino's horn!

The Book of Jin contains a story about a mysterious pond that often emitted sounds of music at night.

A minister had someone light a rhino's horn, only to discover strange creatures at the bottom of the pond, some riding in carriages, dressed in human clothing. He dreamt of these creatures at night, who came to scold him for spying on them, and not long after, he was frightened to death.

Thus, to people in ancient times, the rhino's horn possessed a mysterious quality that could discern loyalty and telepathy."

A tourist couldn't help but ask with curiosity, "Does China have native rhinoceri? How come I've never heard of that?"

The animal keeper replied, "Now, when we talk about rhinoceri, we might instantly think of the vast African savannah.

In fact, the footprints of rhinos once covered both the Asian and African continents and even reached the Yellow River basin. Our ancestors lived in close proximity to rhinos, elephants, tigers, and other such animals.

They are not only recorded in various books but also proven by cultural relics related to rhinos.

For instance, the Rhinoceros-shaped Bronze Zun with gold and silver cloud patterns, from the Warring States period, is now treasured in the National Museum. Its realistically portrayed Sumatran rhino image, with clouds crafted in gold and silver, is extremely delicate and splendid. Everyone, please look this way!"

While the zoo didn't have the Rhinoceros-shaped Bronze Zun, they did display a picture of it on an exhibit board.

The sculpture had complex gold and silver patterns carved onto the rhino's body, resembling auspicious clouds.

Lifelike and animated, its eyes seemed to bring a live rhino trekking through history towards the crowd!

"Wow!"

"So beautiful!"

"This is from the Warring States period? Awesome!"

The tourists crowded around to gawk, exclaiming in amazement, wholly impressed by our ancestors' exquisite craftsmanship!

The animal keeper continued, "Currently, there are five types of rhinos in the world. In Africa, there are black and white rhinos, while in Asia, there are the Sumatran rhino, Javan rhino, and Indian rhino; all these species once had a presence in our country.

Thousands of years ago, during the Shang Dynasty, the climate of the North China Plain was warm and humid, closer to a tropical climate. During that time, rhinos and elephants had a wide range of activity.

Later, as agriculture expanded and the climate cooled, the living space for rhinos shrank and shifted southward, and on the other hand, there was the impact of humans.

The military used their hides for armor, and doctors incorporated rhino horns into medicine.

As the demand for rhino horns grew, rhinos were heavily hunted, their numbers rapidly declined, and they vanished from the lands of China."

"Ah~"

Upon hearing this, the tourists felt a mix of emotions and let out a collective sigh.

But it's not just the rhinos, is it?

The plight of many animals is dire, with only over 150 Skywalker hoolock gibbons and two to three hundred green peafowls left.

Their destiny hangs by a thread, perched on the brink of a cliff.

If we do not protect them well, they may well follow in the footsteps of the rhinos in the future.