I have a wildlife zoo

The reptiles and amphibians exhibit at Linhai Zoo quickly became a must-visit hotspot after its opening.

Not only could visitors see the saltwater crocodile, Asian forest tortoise, panther chameleon, spiny bush viper, and other rare and beautiful creatures, but the design of the exhibit also maintained the consistently high standard of Linhai Zoo. Simply strolling in such an environment was a pleasure in itself.

Each animal was housed in an exhibit that matched its natural habitat. As visitors wandered through the reptiles and amphibians exhibit, one moment they left the dense tropical rainforest, and the next moment they arrived in a dry desert with only sand.

A few steps further and they were in South-East Asian marshes, and after turning a corner, they came to a clear stream with Chinese giant salamanders moving at the sandy bottom.

Visitors would even get the illusion of being teleported around the world!

There are fewer zoos in China with dedicated reptiles and amphibians exhibits and these animals are also not given much attention. In most cases, the animals are placed in any available environment; you might see tortoises crawling around in tiled pools, where visitors are even allowed to toss coins for fun.

Lizards and snakes are often given just a glass tiled display box with no substrate, no plant cover, just a heat lamp overhead for basic survival.

In such conditions, visitors tend to glance over without really being affected or moved.

After visiting the reptiles and amphibians exhibit at Linhai Zoo, many visitors had their impressions completely overturned. They realized reptiles and amphibians could also be beautiful and felt their charm for the first time!

Some of the stereotypes were also shattered. For example, snakes and crocodiles were seen as emotionless, cold-blooded killers, but after visiting, people discovered that crocodiles can also have a silly side, and some snakes might be sensitive and shy, hiding behind leaves and refusing to come out.

Many parents were also willing to take their children to the reptiles and amphibians exhibit to broaden their knowledge.

The rest and service area next to the exhibit also received praise from visitors. After touring the exhibit, sitting there for a while, smelling the fragrance of sweet osmanthus, while watching the koi fish play in the stream and chatting, was indeed a delightful experience.

Moreover, the area also had animal-themed restaurants. The steak barbecue at the Lion Restaurant was delicious, but it was too expensive; average families couldn't afford it, or they could only order a small portion of food, which wasn't very satisfying.

The restaurant next to the square was of average quality yet priced for a tourist area. Unless visitors planned to spend a whole day in the zoo and eat there, most would prefer to drive back and eat somewhere else after a half-day visit.

The food at the animal-themed restaurant was about the same price as the outsourced restaurant but the environment and scenery were much better, and with waiters wearing cute animal hats, dining there was much more appealing.

The owner of the outsourced restaurant complained to Fang Ye about this and suggested raising the prices of the food at the animal-themed restaurant—increasing the price of a single meal from 30-40 to 60-70, arguing that it was a special business opportunity within the zoo.

But Fang Ye subtly laughed it off and rejected the suggestion.

Why make so much money? He preferred to have visitors come more often, have a good time, and gain some knowledge and awareness of environmental protection.

That left the owner of the outsourced restaurant grumbling and reluctantly lowering his prices.

Actually, the owner was still making good money from the zoo, and even with reduced prices, he was earning more than he would outside the zoo.

Fang Ye had still been having meetings every day, discussing with the administrative staff the habits of the newly introduced tropical birds, the production of display boards, how to prevent diseases, and the recruitment of animal keepers continued unabated.

The bear exhibit and the macaque exhibit were also ready this week and officially opened.

...

Tang Xiaoxin adjusted her backpack, put on her shoes, and jumped up and down on the spot, her ponytail bouncing behind her head.

She could not hide her excitement and waved to her parents with a greeting, "I'm off to the zoo to play!"
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After the National Day holiday, the midterm exams were approaching, so school became much busier. She hadn't been able to visit during the reptiles and amphibians exhibit opening, but this time, she managed to see it together with the debut of the macaque and bear exhibits.

Father Tang sat on the sofa, scrolling through his phone, and laughed, "Are you going to the zoo with Qian Keke again?"

"Yeah!"

Mother Tang was tidying up the dining table, wiping it with a cloth, and said helplessly, "As soon as you have a holiday, off you go to the zoo to play. Can't you focus a little? Have you finished your homework yet?"

Tang Xiaoxin said coquettishly, "Mom, don't worry. My grades on the next monthly test will definitely not be worse than the midterms, and even my biology teacher said I've made a lot of progress."

Tang Xiaoxin was good at core subjects like Chinese, mathematics, and English, but her biology and chemistry were weaker. Originally, her biology grades hovered between 70 and 80, but she scored 95 on the midterm exam, and her ranking shot up.

"Are you coming home for lunch then?"

"No! I saw on the WeChat official account that a new animal restaurant opened. I will have lunch there!"

While speaking, Tang Xiaoxin picked up Little Blackie and rubbed its pancake-like face ecstatically, sharing her joy with Little Blackie before dashing out impatiently.

Mother Tang sighed helplessly, "This child!"

It wasn't a matter of grades. Seeing other kids attending various tutoring classes on the weekend while her own child went to the zoo to play, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

Isn't there a saying that learning is like rowing upstream: if you stop advancing, you fall behind?

While others are studying during the holidays, you're playing. The gap might not seem obvious at first, but what about over time?

Mother Tang complained to Father Tang, "You don't even talk to her about it."

Leaning on the sofa, Father Tang said leisurely, "It's okay, didn't her grades improve?"

Mother Tang said, "Maybe this time's test was a fluke, a one-time outstanding performance, and her rank might drop significantly next time."

Father Tang was still very open-minded and chuckled, "That's okay too. I think having a good interest is more important than grades.

Look at so many kids these days, they are forced to study all day long, the pressure is too great, and they become depressed, with some of them resorting to jumping off buildings or cutting themselves. When they really do get depressed, parents regret it when it's too late, and they end up having to pull their kids out of school for treatment, which delays things even more.

Then there are kids who study just to get into university, but once they do, they lose their direction, start partying, and just scrape through with a diploma, ending up in ordinary jobs, toiling away exhausted.

But those with hobbies, pursuing work that interests them, can find the value in their lives."

Mother Tang was speechless, "Well, you keep spoiling her. Xiaoxin isn't depressed; she's freer and happier than any other kid. Colleagues ask me what classes I've signed up my daughter for—they want to sign up their kids too—and I'm embarrassed to say I haven't enrolled her in any."

Laughing, Father Tang said, "Anyway, since Xiaoxin loves going to the zoo so much, if she doesn't do well in school, she could always become an animal keeper. She's already quite familiar with the zoo director."

Unable to resist, Mother Tang began to discuss seriously, "I heard from a colleague that one of his relatives works as an animal keeper at Linhai Zoo. Apparently, the salary is quite decent, and the benefits are good, though I heard the hiring standards are quite high!"

Tang Xiaoxin didn't know that her parents were already discussing the possibility of her becoming an animal keeper someday.