I have a wildlife zoo

Fang Ye said, "Although the story of the yellow-breasted bunting is somewhat sad, it is still a pleasant surprise to have them as guests in our rice fields.

Actually, this is what we want to show in our local exhibit area: our city, where we live, used to look like this long ago.

The yellow-breasted bunting would sing in the fields, tadpoles would grow in the streams.

Now, with the rapid advancement of urbanization, not only is the living space of local species being squeezed, but the connection between people and nature in the city is also being destroyed. Consequently, a variety of problems have emerged.

The local exhibit area is meant to reintroduce everyone to these animals that once lived alongside us and to rebuild our connection with nature, prompting us to think about the relationship between humans and nature."

"This kind of exhibit area is super awesome; I'll definitely visit it in the future."

"The rice field being able to attract yellow-breasted buntings to rest here shows that the zoo has reached an impressive level, just two words: 'freaking cool!'"

As the temperature had dropped recently, the green leaves of the maple trees had begun to show hints of yellow, gently swaying in the breeze. Specks of golden sunshine fell through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting the road in a glittering gold.

Next to the road was a pile of fallen leaves, with an information board erected beside it.

A netizen asked out of curiosity, "What is this exhibit showcasing?"

Fang Ye smiled and said, "The local exhibit area isn't just about showcasing a few local animals. Habitat is the foundation, and it is only with habitats created by local plants that local biotic communities can emerge.

This here is to showcase this pile of fallen leaves, which has a nice name—Fallen Leaves Castle.

Fallen leaves are an important part of the natural cycle.

When leaves fall from the branches, although they have ended one journey, they continue life in another form.

The decomposition of leaves provides rich organic matter to the soil, making it loose. Because of the fermentation by microorganisms, even in winter, a pile of fallen leaves can be warm, serving as a castle for many small animals to overwinter.

Japanese rhinoceros beetles and some scarab beetle larvae feed on fermenting fallen leaves and spend their larval stage there, which is why we rarely see them in cities—it's because of the lack of fallen leaves."

"I see!"

"Nobita and his friends in 'Doraemon' love catching Japanese rhinoceros beetles in the hills behind their homes, and it's an activity I always longed for in my childhood."

Netizens found it interesting; who would have thought a pile of fallen leaves could be an exhibit?

An observant netizen said, "What about that withered tree up front? It looks like it holds a mystery."

At first glance, it was just a brownish-yellow withered tree! Its surface was pocked and holed, as if eaten away by insects.

There was a noticeable cut mark in the middle of the tree trunk, resembling the cover of a book.

Fang Ye smiled and opened the tree bark as though flipping through a book.

The information board was actually hidden inside the tree trunk! It introduced longhorn beetles.

Stroking the insect-damaged trunk, Fang Ye said, "You've probably all seen longhorn beetles before, right? Maybe you even caught them as kids.

Have you ever imagined what a tree looks like after being gnawed on by longhorn beetles? This is the work of the longhorn beetles."

Whenever longhorn beetles are mentioned, it instantly evokes many people's childhood memories.

"When I was a kid, there was a wasteland behind my mother's hospital. Come summertime, it was filled with the chirping of insects and the calls of birds. I caught longhorn beetles there, captured grasshoppers, chased butterflies, and sometimes if I was lucky, I'd see stick insects. When my mom went to work during the summer vacation, I would tag along and spend the whole day there, playing until I was drenched in sweat, so happy I could burst."

"In elementary school, I often saw longhorn beetles! Those with black backs and spots, antennae alternating black and white. My favorite thing to do was to grab the beetle's antennae and swing it around until they were dizzy."

"I loved catching longhorn beetles in elementary school. One time I caught a really big one and was playing with it in my hand when it bit down hard and wouldn't let go, even drawing blood. It hurt so much that it traumatized me, and I never dared to catch them again."

"Why didn't you bite it back then?"

"Ha ha, I've never been bitten by a longhorn beetle. Just grab it by the back and you'll be fine! It'll make a 'click clack' sound."

"The peach trees at my old house were gnawed to death by longhorn beetles; the tree trunks were riddled with their holes."

"Speaking of which, it seems like I haven't seen a longhorn beetle in a long time!"

Fang Ye said, "In many people's perception, longhorn beetles are pests that inhabit tree trunks and harm the environment.

In fact, every wildlife species has unique ecological significance. Female adult longhorn beetles use their sharp mandibles to gnaw on the bark, leaving wounds on the branches where they lay eggs. The hatching larvae move inside the tree trunk, tunneling long passages and leaving conspicuous wounds on the branches."

"These wounds exude nutrient-rich sap, which attracts small beetles to feed, and the beetles' chewing prolongs the healing time of the branches, resulting in more sap flowing out."

"The tree sap emits a fragrance in the hot and humid weather, drawing even larger visitors like butterflies, stag beetles, and wasps, and these larger insects in turn attract bird predators."

"These forest inhabitants rely on the dining spots created by longhorn beetles throughout the entire summer."

Listening to his narration, netizens couldn't help but imagine, in the scorching summer days, longhorn beetles boring into tree trunks, a variety of insects and birds constantly visiting, creating a rich and colorful forest microcosm.

Fang Ye said, "If it's a healthy natural forest, then there's no need to worry about the harm from longhorn beetles, as they are part of a healthy ecosystem. However, in the case of monoculture plantations, they could become a disaster, because there are no natural predators to control them. The more complex the ecosystem, the more stable it is."

They passed a cone-shaped granary with an "enrichment" character posted on it, evoking the atmosphere of a rural backyard.

Next to the granary was the red fox exhibit!

As they arrived there, the animal keeper was just about to start feeding.

Fang Ye didn't rush in but said with a smile, "Let's see how they feed the foxes."

When the animal keeper opened the cage door, the prince, who was usually lethargic in everything else, became immediately excited at mealtime, wagging his tail and rushing over, calling out shrilly "y~ing y~ing" nonstop.

The animal keeper scattered some food in the buffer area and blew a whistle, "Time to eat, time to eat!"

Xiaoqiao still had some reservations, but Youyou and Sugar Pack, the two foxes, followed the prince into the buffer area and began eating off the ground.

Then, the animal keeper closed the door to the buffer area and started setting up in the activity area, so as not to be disturbed by the foxes.

Sugar Pack was too lively, always being a nuisance while the food was being distributed. As for the prince, he pursued relentlessly whenever there was food.

Fang Ye said, "These boxes contain thawed mice. If you put them out directly, the foxes would find them too easily, so instead they are hidden in boxes and scattered around for the foxes to search for. This increases the difficulty of feeding and prolongs their foraging time. This is a standard practice for food enrichment."