Chapter 535 Dirty Giant Panda
Yingying’s father scoffed, "Looking at how this tree trunk is about to break..."
Before he could finish his sentence!
"Crack," a crisp sound!
The branch, unable to bear the weight, split apart, and Cloud did a free-fall from the tree, hands held up, butt downward, and "duang" landed on the grass.
Actually, there was no sound when landing on the grass, but after Cloud’s chubby butt hit the ground, it turned from a ball into a pancake; and then, with its limbs raised while flattened, it quickly bounced back to its original shape, appearing to be very elastic.
Cloud rolled on the grass, then casually got back up as if nothing had happened.
Looking at the tree, it felt a bit displeased.
It had just been sitting there, enjoying the view and having a good time when it suddenly fell down.
"Not very sturdy, are you? I didn’t even put much effort into it, how could you break just from me shaking my little feet up there?"
Tree: I have a tough life! Do you have no awareness of your own weight, nearly two hundred pounds?
Yingying’s father was stunned for a moment: "What did I say again?"
Some visitors sympathized!
"Shocking!"
"Is it okay, should we call an animal keeper?"
"It looks so painful!"
However, visitors who often came to the panda exhibit were used to giant pandas falling from trees and, after listening to the guides’ explanations, knew such a height was nothing for the pandas’ thick fur and fat.
Seeing this scene, they took the initiative to explain to other visitors, "It’s fine, pandas are robust and can’t be hurt easily!"
"Hahaha, it even seemed to bounce a bit! So cute."
"Is it really that bouncy?"
"A daily endangered species trick!"
"Giant pandas never have any idea how much they weigh. It’s just unfortunate for this tree!"
"Seems like a few trees have been replaced since the last time I came to watch the pandas, and this one doesn’t seem like it will last long either!"
After landing on the ground, Cloud started to stroll around the activity area.
Even just watching a panda walk is quite amusing.
The plump body atop short legs, the butt wiggle, the pigeon-toed gait, the body bouncing along.
The adorable black eye patches combined with an ’I-don’t-care’ stride, cuteness and arrogance rolled into one!
Every step like a minion, like the walk of a devil, like the stride of a devil~
Liu Xueqing couldn’t help but laugh, "Such an elastic gait, so funny!"
Yingying’s father said, "Short legs and a big butt make for a naturally graceful walk!"
Coming to a perch suspended horizontally, Cloud paused, showing a curious expression.
There was a brightly colored plastic roller fitted over the perch, a new toy that had been installed recently.
Like the tire toy, it was hoped that when pandas stood up to use it, it would help strengthen their leg muscles.
Cloud tried pawing it, and immediately the roller began to spin.
However, it seemed Cloud didn’t grasp the correct way to play with it, so it just climbed onto the perch from the side!
Hugging the roller, Cloud maintained a delicate balance while rocking back and forth.
But the balance was broken after just a second or two when Cloud’s legs let go of the perch, and the spinning roller naturally caused it to be flung face-up onto the ground.
Cloud landed with a thud on its butt, legs splayed out, hands held up, looking endearing!
The visitors couldn’t stop laughing, "Pandas are just so much fun!"
"Not the brightest appearance."
Watching pandas is the cure for all kinds of unhappiness!
However, some visitors noticed that Cloud seemed a bit dirty!
The white fur on her chest, belly, and buttocks had turned brown and even a bit yellow from all the dust, making it not very pleasing to the eye.
A visitor asked the interpreter with curiosity, "How long has this panda not bathed? It looks so dirty. Don’t you give it a bath?"
"Right, right, pandas are national treasures, the face of the zoo. Shouldn’t they be kept clean?"
Liu Xueqing had thought the same thing!
But then she remembered, in the tropical bird pavilion, the soap water smeared on the glass walls of the toucan’s enclosure looked dirty, but it was actually to prevent birds from crashing into the transparent glass.
So she understood one thing: when it comes to animals, one must consider from the animals’ perspective, not just what people unilaterally think is best.
Maybe there was a reason the panda was a bit dirty?
She listened carefully to the interpreter’s response.
The interpreter answered with a smile, "First of all, panda fur is not purely white!
Pandas with relatively white fur are in the minority; most pandas have yellowish fur, and it’s not dirtiness—they are naturally like this.
Our Zhuangzhuang is one of the pandas with whiter fur, while Cloud’s fur is naturally a bit yellow. The color is pale, and perhaps people didn’t notice when the pandas were clean before.
Furthermore, it’s normal for them to roll on the ground, get dirty with mud—it’s very normal for giant pandas, which are wild animals, not pets. Even if they are a bit dirty, it’s not a problem.
Moreover, when giant pandas get themselves dirty, it’s actually part of their self-protection mechanism. Their fur secretes a layer of oil, so the dirt can absorb the excess oils from their fur and also prevent parasites from getting in. The pandas’ hair and skin can also absorb some essential trace elements from the soil.
If we bathed the pandas frequently, although they would look clean, their resistance would decrease, and it would actually be bad for them."
"So that’s how it is!"
"Learned something new!"
"Oh my, when I went to see the pandas back then, I criticized the shabby zoo for not taking good care of the pandas because they looked dirty. Turns out it was a misunderstanding!"
Looking at Cloud again, the visitors knew that this kind of dirtiness was a natural state for the pandas and it could even make them healthier. Their mindset unwittingly shifted, and they no longer felt uncomfortable.
The interpreter continued, "Of course, if the pandas are too dirty, it’s not good for their health, so our animal keepers will help clean them up.
However, most pandas don’t really enjoy baths!
They like a moist and cool environment, and they prefer to keep their fur dry. You may have noticed that although there is running water in the exhibit, pandas usually play with water very little. They might only dip their paws in it, and they cross water very quickly.
In hot weather during summer, they might go for a soak.
For animal keepers, giving pandas a bath is not an easy task. It’s hard enough to bathe and keep them still when they’re young, and when they get bigger, keepers can only brush them through the cage by attracting them with food. More often, they just give the pandas a simple shower with a hose."
However, what is difficult for animal keepers is not much of a challenge for Fang Ye.
Right now, the pandas aren’t that dirty, but if they ever get especially filthy, he could personally help clean them up.
…
Ring-tailed lemur island!
At this time of day, the ring-tailed lemurs had finished sunbathing and were frolicking around the island.
A ring-tailed lemur crouched on the African baobab tree, then whooshed onto a rope and then onto an alluaudia, swinging back and forth in mid-air with incredibly agile movements.
It seemed the African baobab tree was struggling to adapt to the local climate and soil and looked a bit like it was dying.
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Fang Ye sprinkled a bit of spiritual soil to see if it could be revived. But even if the tree died, it would still make a natural perch for the ring-tailed lemurs to climb about on.
When Liu Xueqing and her family came over, they were first drawn to the water birds in the vast waters at the edge.
They looked peculiar with their big and long beaks!
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