I have a wildlife zoo

Feeding the melon-headed whales felt very rewarding, seeing them open their mouths to gulp down fish.

Especially these two melon-headed whales, which had been at death's door when they were first brought in, had regained their health through their rescue and meticulous care. It was truly comforting to see them enjoy their fish so enthusiastically!

The surrounding staff couldn't help but smile at the scene.

They let the melon-headed whales stay in the penguin enclosure for another day to observe their condition.

As the melon-headed whales' health improved, so did their resistance to humans.

When the animal keepers supported their bodies, trying to help them swim, the whales were not pleased, flapping their tails to resist the keepers.

Fang Ye couldn't help but think of the story Zoo Director Qi told about rescuing the snow leopard, Lingxue!

At the time, Lingxue was seriously injured and very weak. Given her condition, administering anesthesia daily was risky. After being anesthetized for a while, she couldn't eat or drink, and such torments every day could have killed her if they had followed standard rescue protocols.

Sandezi went to take care of Lingxue, holding the skin at the back of her neck to administer the IV fluids.

Sandezi didn't originally have that name, but because he took such good care of Princess Lingxue, everyone thought of the best attendants to princesses and dowager empresses, commonly known as Sandezi, and jokingly called him that.

When Lingxue was injured and seriously ill, her resistance was very weak. Sandezi would sit beside her, even reaching out to touch and soothe her, and Lingxue would accept it. She'd even purr contentedly like a cat, showing no rejection at all.

But once her health improved to a point where she could walk, she completely changed from her previously docile demeanor.

Trying to touch her again was impossible!

She became very wary, baring her teeth at people. "Screw off, who the hell are you?" she seemed to say.

She wouldn't let anyone get close, and her destructive nature was very strong.

That's the nature of wild animals; after being rescued, they turn unrecognizable, and once released, they run off without looking back, with no gratitude. But that's precisely who they truly are.

Such "ingrates" are actually what rescue organizations hope to see -- they don't want the animals to develop any dependence or affection towards humans.

The resistance the two melon-headed whales showed towards the keepers was also proof of their significant recovery!

Although some of their blood test indicators weren't ideal and they were still somewhat weak, their condition was now suitable for release.

The fisheries department had made contact in the last couple of days and had agreed on a plan.

The weather was good, with no strong winds or waves at sea, so they decided to release them today.

…

When the afternoon sun began to dip, lowering the temperature, the truck carrying the melon-headed whales set off!

Arriving at the seaside, a round orange-red sun was about to sink into the ocean.

The brilliant rays shone upon the vast blue sea, as if a golden dragon sprawled across it.

The sky was tinged with myriad colors, the clouds deep apricot like intense fire, rouge red, and mysteriously purple.

The wind over the sea whipped up waves, driving the water toward the shore, glittering and shimmering, exuding an enticing gloss.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~

The cool evening breeze at the beach swept away the heat of the day.

The boat slowly made its way into the deep sea!

Perhaps sensing the salty, fresh, and moist sea air, the two melon-headed whales seemed excited. Although restrained on stretchers, they were flapping their tails up and down.

Fang Ye released his soothing skill, calming the two melon-headed whales so they wouldn't become too stressed or excited and injure themselves in their struggle. Lan Li was beside him, shooting video to document the occasion.

The area chosen for release was the same as where they were stranded. After the release, there was even a chance they could encounter their pod.

When they reached a spot where the water was about 15 meters deep, the boat stopped.

Several divers went into the water first, preparing to assist from below!

They wouldn't board the ship until they had witnessed the melon-headed whale's safe departure.

Then, five or six animal keepers lifted the stretcher, attaching the straps to the hooks on the ship's crane arm.

The crane arm slowly turned, moving out over the glittering sea surface, and placed the melon-headed whale into the water, where divers helped catch it and unfastened the stretcher.

With the restraints gone, the melon-headed whale instantly dove into the water!

It surfaced again a bit farther away.

Two melon-headed whales could be seen swimming forward together through the water, their movements graceful and agile.

They leaped out of the water lightly, tracing a beautiful arc, plunging their heads into the sea and splashing white foam around.

Then they jumped out again!

The two whales took turns leaping from the water, expressing their excitement, frolicking non-stop.

The soft afterglow of the sunset shimmered behind them, reflecting off the sleek skin of the melon-headed whales, creating an enchanting glow.

The remaining light of the sun, the spirits dancing over the waves, the blossoming splashes of water—it seemed like a beautiful painting.

The rescue workers, by this time, had gathered at the edge of the deck, leaning on the railing, enjoying the beautiful scene with contentment!

Lan Li couldn't help but turn to Fang Ye and say, "They seem really happy!"

Fang Ye, with his arm around Lan Li's waist, smiled and said, "Yes."

He waved his hand and shouted toward the distance, "Goodbye! Take care from now on, and don't get stranded again!"

After frolicking for a while, the two melon-headed whales dived into the water and disappeared from sight, truly leaving this time.

As the ship turned back, the sky also gradually darkened.

Fang Ye then made a phone call to update the other departments on the successful release.

Mayor Bai called soon after, his voice sounding very happy, "Zoo Director Fang, you all did a great job!"

The melon-headed whale rescue in Linhai had drawn considerable attention on Weibo.

The city officials took the matter very seriously, and were quick to coordinate all kinds of requests put forward by Fang Ye.

The zoo's performance in the rescue could be described as nothing short of perfect!

Even CCTV News praised them, saying they had put into practice the concept of a community of life between humans and nature with their actions.

The next year would bring another round of evaluations for the National Civilized Cities.

With such a zoo and such outstanding records of wildlife rescue, it would undoubtedly earn significant bonus points.

Fang Ye hadn't expected Mayor Bai to call specially to commend him, and he laughed, "This is what we should do!"

Mayor Bai not only praised him at length but also assured him of the zoo's achievements, adding that the zoo could make any further requests.

Whether it was a subsidy or some policy assistance, the city would do its best to fulfill the needs.

Fang Ye's eyes suddenly lit up!

The zoo's original grounds had been too small, but after getting approval for expansion once from the city, it had grown to 100,000 square meters, alleviating the most pressing needs.

However, with continued construction at the zoo, the 100,000 square meters had gradually filled up with exhibits!

Just the Giant Beast Area, with animals like elephants and giraffes, already occupied a quarter of the zoo's space.

Maybe it was time to consider expanding the zoo again?

As visitors increased, the parking lot had become insufficient, packed to its limits every weekend and holiday.

After stating his needs, Mayor Bai laughed and said, "Your zoo's development is also quite rapid!"