I have a wildlife zoo

Wolves and crows, clearly two very different creatures, were able to coexist harmoniously, maintaining a tacit understanding.

Yingying watched the scene of little wolf cubs and young crows playing together, and said thoughtfully, "Mama, are they friends?"

Liu Xueqing replied, "Yes, they are good friends!"

Yingying said, "When I go back, I’m going to paint them."

Liu Xueqing touched her head and smiled, "Good idea, show it to mom when you’re done."

Having finished walking through the predator exhibition area, the family followed other tourists to the Waterfowl Lake area behind.

Although Waterfowl Lake had been open before, at that time it had not introduced any birds, and not many tourists had been there.

Now, the tourists were gathering here, crowding around the water, excitedly looking at the various waterfowl in the lake, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.

The surface of the lake was like a clear, shining mirror, with lush green trees on the shore reflected within it. The willows drooped, their branches brushing the water’s surface, joined by reeds and lotus flowers, making the lake appear green with their reflections.

In the lake was reflected the azure sky, with leisurely floating white clouds, slightly rippling when stirred by the wind, creating a shimmering effect on the water.

Mallards swam through the lake, creating ripples that spread behind them, making the smooth surface of the water look as though it was silk with folds.

Mandarin ducks swam around the logs floating on the water, chasing each other playfully.

Under the green trees surrounding Waterfowl Lake was a grassy area as plush as a carpet, dotted with small yellow and purple wildflowers. Bathed in the bright sunshine and with a few swans idling on the grass, the area looked even more vibrant and full of life.

A cool breeze blew towards them, causing the slender willow branches to sway gently, as if a dancer was stretching her waist, lightly fluttering.

Looking at the beautiful scenery and the vibrant animals made everyone feel incredibly uplifted.

"Ah ah ah ah!"

The swans, swimming in the water, suddenly began flapping their wings and calling out loudly.

The sound of the swans was akin to that of air leaking from a balloon, somewhat similar to the call of the ring-tailed lemur.

Yingying pointed at the swans in the lake and excitedly shouted, "Mama, swans!"

She was overjoyed at the sight of the beautiful and elegant birds.

From a young age, Liu Xueqing used to tell her fairy tales, stories about the Ugly Duckling and swans, and she had only seen what swans looked like in the illustrations of the books. This was her first time seeing them with her own eyes.

Mallards, ruddy shelducks, mandarin ducks, white swans, black swans—she saw them all at once.

The reintroduced ruddy shelducks were flying further and further away; some had completely left the zoo, while others seemed to like the environment of the zoo and had decided to make it their home.

"Yes, swans, and look, there are black swans too!"

Liu Xueqing responded, gazing at the glittering Waterfowl Lake and feeling the refreshing breeze on her face, she couldn’t help but say, "Gee, this place really is nice! Linhai Zoo is getting better and better!"

Yingying’s father nodded in agreement and said, "Isn’t it just!"

He raised his camera and "click, click," started taking pictures!

They saw some tourists by the shore covering their eyes, as if crying, which puzzled them.

With such beautiful scenery, why would anyone cry?

This tourist had brought some bread and fruit with them, initially intended to be their own snacks while touring the zoo.

Upon seeing the swans and ducks, they suddenly felt an urge to feed them, hoping to attract the birds closer for a clearer view and possibly to watch them eat as well.

But as soon as this thought occurred, they were suddenly overwhelmed with shame!

Despite not being my first visit to the zoo, and knowing that feeding the animals was a bad habit, with the warning sign forbidding feeding standing nearby, why did I still feel like feeding them?

I remembered when I was in primary school, unabashed in front of the girls, digging out a booger and then eating it!

In the summer, finding class too hot, I secretly took off my shoes, only to be caught red-handed by my desk mate. Suddenly, all of my classmates turned their gaze toward me, laughing heartily!

Confessing to the girl I liked, she rejected me outright, "Sorry, I don’t have any feelings for you!"

All these things had happened so long ago and I had almost forgotten them. So why were they all rushing back to me now, even in vivid detail?

As soon as Waterfowl Lake opened, the animal keepers and volunteers reported serious feeding incidents, so Fang Ye placed two "Civilized Behavior Plaques" awarded by the system there.

If visitors thought about misbehaving, they would feel deeply ashamed and dejected for three minutes.

Once the time passed, although the feeling of shame faded, the compulsion to feed also disappeared.

Two ducks, paired together, swam past in the nearby water.

Liu Xueqing could see them clearly since they were so close—one was the epitome of a wild duck in her mind, with brownish-black feathers mottled with black.

The other was different: a yellow beak, gray wing feathers, a head of metallic green, and a thin white ring around its neck that divided the green head from the black chest and belly.

Liu Xueqing exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of duck is that? It’s pretty!"

Yingying’s father saw a display board by the lakeshore with a picture of this kind of duck on it and glanced at it: "That’s a mallard!"

The mallard, as it swam, seemed to have found some food.

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It stuck its head into the water, bum up in the air, stirring up a splash of water.

Many people think ducks eat fish, but that’s not necessarily true. Mallards aren’t adept at catching fish; they usually feed on plant leaves, aquatic insects, and such, even preying on frogs and smaller birds.

Because they are not good at diving, they stretch their necks when feeding, presenting a posture with their bottoms aimed at the sky, which looks quite amusing.

A pair of mandarin ducks glided across the water.

One mandarin duck had a metallic emerald green atop its head, vivid red beak, dark purple plumage, white eyebrow stripes, and brown-yellow wings, with black, white, and blue stripes in an orderly pattern.

It had colors of the rainbow collected on its body, bright and beautiful as if it were a rainbow itself.

The feathers around its neck exploded like fireworks, and two wing feathers on its back stood up like sails.

The other appeared much more modest, with a dull gray head and brownish feathers, dotted with some white spots.

Had it not been for the two intimately swimming together and grooming each other’s feathers, it would be hard to believe they were of the same species.

Like the mallard, the male mandarin duck appeared more beautiful.

Their striking plumage attracted the attention of many visitors.

"That must be the mandarin duck, so beautiful, and it’s my first time seeing one!"

"The female next to it looks so plain in comparison, the sex difference is huge!"

"My pillow at home is embroidered with mandarin ducks, and both are pretty. Suddenly, I feel like something’s off? Are they both male??"

"Last time I was at the zoo, I heard an animal keeper say that mandarin ducks aren’t actually monogamous, so they’re not suitable to be a symbol of love."

It seemed as if the mandarin ducks overheard the people talking, and with a sharp cackle, one called out, "Oh!"

Flapping their wings, lifting their upper bodies from the water, the two mandarin ducks fluttered away into the distance.