The Qingming holiday just passed
Someone lined up in Shanghai for "Zootopia"
Some people lined up at the Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing
On the first day of the holiday on April 4, the crowd in Nanjing Hongshan Zoo was too crowded, and the director Shen Zhijun had to direct order at the scene. In the evening, the official issued a speed restriction announcement: the maximum number of people entering the park is 80,000, the number of people in the park is limited to 40,000, and the operation of self-service escorts is suspended. This data is comparable to the average daily passenger flow of Shanghai Disneyland.
In 2020, when Hongshan Zoo was closed for 51 days due to the epidemic and its income returned to zero, Shen Zhijun gave a famous speech of "asking for revenge" (a retaliatory rebound in the number of visitors to the park). Today, Nanjing Hongshan Zoo has undoubtedly become the top in China.
In October 2020, a sign reading "Thank you for taking revenge on me" was erected at the Red Hill Zoo. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
A zoo
What makes tourists so crazy?
This zoo was once famous for being "poor".
How did you transform and embark on the road to the top?
October 12, 2021
Xinhua Daily Telegraph published an investigative report
What should a zoo look like?
Nanjing, this zoo has the answer"
Let's walk in today
The Red Hill Zoo was not yet "red" back then
See the conscience of a zoo
See respect for every living being
Witness what a zoo should look like
"Some people say that there will be revenge travel after the epidemic, but I have waited for more than three months, and not many people have come to retaliate against me. In August 2020, because of the director Shen Zhijun's speech entitled "The Pursuit of a Zoo", Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo (hereinafter referred to as Hongshan Zoo) was "out of the circle".
The 68-hectare zoo, home to more than 3,000 animals of more than 260 species, has been cancelled in the last decade or so, the sale of feed for visitors to feed the animals has been cancelled, the venue has been renovated to take into account the needs of the animals, the cranes and ostriches whose breeding records have been interrupted for many years have been reinstated, and the elephants have been provided with manicure services......
A media report once described it as follows: "In less than ten years, the Red Hill Zoo has risen like a tower, but at the same time, it is also as lonely and fragile as a tower." This report details the seemingly "lonely" efforts of the zoo over the past decade, insisting on not changing animal welfare during the difficult times of the epidemic, and documenting the contradictions and struggles of the zoo team......
For more than a day after the report was issued, enthusiastic people have given support by adopting animals, buying peripheral products, and visiting them. People who want to adopt animals have "exploded" the call of the zoo, and the adoption group is full of one, and love is pouring in from all directions.
Shen Zhijun has always wanted a different kind of zoo: mainly to serve animals, visitors are guests who come to the "home" of animals, and put public welfare, species protection, and animal welfare in the most important position of the zoo.
Koalas at Red Hill Zoo. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
The Hongshan Zoo, which has appeared in the news again and again, has become the "warmth of Nanjing" in the hearts of the local people. What is even more gratifying to Shen Zhijun is that as more people understand and agree with the concept of protecting animals and respecting life, zoos are no longer "islands", but more like "embassies" that guide the public to get along with nature in a friendly way.
The leopard is "tickling" more and more. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
There are desserts in the middle of summer and underfloor heating in the winter
Liu Yuanyuan, a breeder at the feline museum, has a lot of "smelly" photos in her mobile phone: leopard droppings. "Look, their droppings are pretty now!"
Pretty – used to describe? Yes, you read that right.
Earlier, keepers had noticed that the leopards' droppings were not very well formed – similar to half-melted chocolate or ice cream, when they were supposed to pull out twisted droppings. Liu Yuanyuan and her colleagues pondered and consulted the information.
"At the zoo, they used to eat beef and bones, which sounds great, isn't it, but leopards in the wild eat whole prey, with fur and so on. Liu Yuanyuan added that at the Hongshan Zoo, they do not provide live animals to animals, because even if the fate is to be eaten, they must take care of the psychology of the animals as food.
Liu Yuanyuan and her colleagues first tried to feed the leopards rats, and it was clear that undigested hair appeared in their droppings. Then the birds were added, and then the rabbits were added. "Their droppings become beautiful. Liu Yuanyuan said that something even more miraculous happened, and the leopards began to eat ryegrass in the cage and spit out hairballs.
In Liu Yuanyuan's view, whether an animal can live a healthy life and whether it can get the food it deserves is the top priority. There is underfloor heating in the cages, and in winter they are covered with straw, which is dry and comfortable. ”
Red Hill Zoo is committed to the principle that "the core action of the zoo is to achieve positive animal welfare".
Durian, which is not cheap on the market, is a summer dessert for orangutans, in the hot summer, elephants can take a shower under a specially made parasol or stand or take a sand bath in the dug sand, red-crowned cranes with broken beaks due to fighting, and monkeys with missing front teeth are fitted with large gold teeth made with 3D printing technology......
Here, it's all about animals.
In the feline hall, there is a small cubicle, with a board for cutting meat for animals, desks for employees, and computers to monitor the condition of animals, and it is difficult for two keepers to turn around in it, because they have to leave as much space as possible for the animals to move.
The "big stomach king" leopard is simple, and his appetite has reached a new level. After a few days of observation, the keeper found that it was the "expansion" of the field, and the amount of exercise it had increased. Liu Yuanyuan said: "Director Shen has always insisted that everything should be based on the needs of animals. To make any decision, to do any work, the only thing he obeys is whether the animal needs it or not. ”
The leopard is lying on the stone more and more. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
Having freedom like a peach
"Two kings, two kings, two kings...... In the morning, Jiang Yao, the breeder of the feline museum, was calling the Eurasian lynx named "Erwang" one after another, "urging" it to walk from the infield into its outfield cage - No. 6.
This is what the keepers do every morning after observing the animals and cleaning the outfield. This is also the happiest moment of Liu Yuanyuan's day, "The tourists haven't come yet, and the surroundings are very quiet. When you call them, they stretch and walk out. When the weather is good, the sun shines on them, and they look energetic and beautiful. You will feel beautiful and healing. ”
The leopard named Peaches walked to his favorite "Tmall Channel" in the string field, no matter how Jiang Yao called, it stood still, did not move to its outfield cage that day, found a place in the "Tmall Channel" and lazied. The keeper seems to have gotten used to the "willfulness" of the peaches, and suspended the cross-play plan for another outfield cage connected to the "Tmall Channel", and chose a different cage for the next lynx ready to be released.
The two kings of the Eurasian lynx are passing through the Tmall channel. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
At Redhill Zoo, with "animal welfare first", many animals can have freedom like peaches.
The leopard is more and more inclined to stay in high places. The cages in the feline hall are rich in plants, and some of the cages are built on the hillside, giving the climbing felines a more ideal environment, and looking down on the territory from a high place can also give them more security.
- More like a habitat in the wild. Rolling hillsides, fallen logs, gravel, rocks, caves, streams...... In the wolf house, such habitats allow wolves to express more behaviors: they can dodge, chase and run, play together, clash with each other, or sleep in their burrows......
- Shorten the distance with people. There are places that make visitors feel "uncomfortable", but make animals feel comfortable. One of the cages in the feline museum is designed to be so low that even children need to bend down to see it, which reduces the attention of tourists to a certain extent. "This is a breeding area, and after the birth of the baby lynx and the baby leopard, the mother animal is very sensitive. It's so short here to tell everyone to 'hurry up, don't stay long'. Liu Yuanyuan said.
- The right not to be seen. Ocelots are timid by nature, and there are many "hiding places" in the cages of Strange and Miao, and it is only possible to find one of their ears or eyes if you look closely. The signboard reads: We are very shy, we just don't want you to see it, we love "hide and seek".
- Freedom not to be disturbed. There is a glass pyramid in the meerkatat that gives viewers a low vantage point from which to observe the meerkat. Here, visitors can see the animals in their true and natural state without human interference.
Pandas at the Red Hill Zoo. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
They have the freedom to express their nature
At the beginning of the day after the rain, the No. 1 family, who live in the "Northern Hemisphere" of the meerkatkan, is busy digging a hole. Heavy rain has damaged their burrows. They prefer to live in holes they dig themselves rather than cages.
Early in the morning, the keeper Hu Lanhua opened the door separating the two houses. "Let them 'get up close and personal'. ”
Native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, the meerkatat loves the sun. Females compete for the queen's position when they grow up, and the offspring in the group are generally bred by the queen, but if the queen is "generous", other females will also be allowed to reproduce.
To avoid casualties, the zoo separates the venues. The sunny "Northern Hemisphere" is occupied by the Victorious Queen's Family No. 1, while the defeated Queen's No. 2 family can only stay in the gloomy "Southern Hemisphere." ”
Seeing that the door was opened, while the No. 1 family was busy digging holes, the son of the defeated queen, Anonymous, began to be eager to try again, brewing a plan to climb over the wall. Last winter, it managed to "join" Family 1 and was driven back after a winter.
Stepping out of the family and joining a new group is the experience that the male meerkat wants to try the most when he becomes an adult, and this is what Anonymous desires, and he will not miss any opportunity to try to enter the No. 1 family.
Slowly sticking out their little paws and crossing the door, Family 1 just glanced up at Anonymous and continued to dig holes. Encouraged Anonymous lowered his body and walked briskly forward, stepping into the "Northern Hemisphere". All members of Family 1 have their tails cocked, a sign of extreme vigilance. However, they were silent and did not attack. Anonymous became emboldened and began to move in a small area in the "Northern Hemisphere".
Suddenly, the No. 1 family set out in groups. Anonymous ran around the "Northern Hemisphere", experienced a "fast and furious", and "escaped" back to his home. Hu Lanhua closed the door between the two families in time.
Hu Lanhua told reporters that opening the door for the two families to "get in touch" is not only to let them exercise, but also a form of enrichment.
Hu Lanhua is training the meerkats with the ultimate goal of weighing them. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
Fengrong, a zoo term, refers to a series of measures taken to enrich the life of animals, meet the physiological and psychological needs of animals, and promote animals to show more natural behaviors under captive conditions. This is an important technical effort to improve animal welfare.
Hu Lanhua is training the meerkats with the ultimate goal of weighing them.
Stimulating wildness is the focus of the breeder's job. Allowing animals to behave as closely as possible in their natural behavior in the wild is good for their health and other aspects.
At Red Hill Zoo, animals have the freedom to express their nature. The wolf will lie in ambush at the water's edge, wait for the wild magpie to fly down to drink, and then swoop out and hold it. They also dig their own holes and give birth to their wolf cubs, which is a behavior that can only be seen in wolves living in the wild.
One visitor wrote: The meerkats lie on the sand in groups of three or five, looking up at the sky, and when a crested eagle passes by, they flee back to their holes, just like they do in the Kalahari Desert in Africa – this expression of nature is amazing.
Kitty, the Eurasian lynx, wanders around. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
They'll be able to get out of here one day
"How is the uncle?" is the most common question that the "editor" of Hongshan Zoo has received in the background recently.
"Uncle" is not a "person", it is a baby fish, Nanjing citizens picked it up in the ditch and sent it to the local police station, and was sent to Hongshan Zoo after the epidemic stabilized. Wild baby fish is a protected animal, and it is difficult for the police station to judge whether it is wild or domestic, so during the "sojourn", the police station treats it as wild, "delicious and good to drink", and has the title of "uncle".
There are 3 baby fish sent to Hongshan Zoo at the same time as the "uncle", and there are 14 "seniors" who have settled here. There are about 700 of 800 animals of 800 or 90 species in the place where they stay every day, and they are not displayed to tourists, and there is a sign at the door that says "Tourists Stop" - this is the zoo's wildlife shelter and rescue center.
"An important function of the Red Hill Zoo is the in-situ conservation of native species. As a wildlife shelter and rescue center in Jiangsu Province and Nanjing City, 925 wild animals were rescued and 209 local wild animals were released here in 2020. Chen Yuelong, a staff member of the rescue center, said that new animals are constantly being received here, and they must be ready to respond to new situations every day. There is no "notice", often a phone call to inform that the animal has arrived at the door.
Injured and sick animals come here, and despite all their best efforts, death is inevitable. One second you are trying to breathe, and the next you may stop breathing. Chen Yuelong said: "All the animals that come here are 'problematic', find the problem first, and then help them solve it. At the rescue center, the first priority is to get the animals that come here alive first. ”
Survive. In order to achieve this goal, the staff of the rescue center have to exhaust various treatment methods and tailor rescue plans for the animals, and it is not uncommon to work overtime. They play the role of the newborn weasel "kind old father", the owl "teacher in the school", and the injured kestrel "gentle healer......
"When I first started working as a wildlife rescuer, I understood it more as a breeding job. As more and more animals come into contact with and rescue, you will find that this job is not only to keep the animals sent here alive, but also to make them continue to become better versions of themselves and have the ability to return to the wild. Chen Yuelong said.
Bringing wildlife back into the wild has always been the goal of Chen Yuelong and her colleagues. Therefore, although the "beds" in the rescue center are always tight, they still want to create as rich a "wild" environment as possible in the limited space. For example, a cage of wild boars that will be released is only fed once a day, and each time the food is irregular, Chen Yuelong and his colleagues will leave after putting the food away, so as to avoid them from associating humans and food with two things, so as to better return to the wild.
Therefore, unlike the "uncle", almost none of the animals in the rescue center have names, and Chen Yuelong hopes that one day they will be able to leave here and return to their original habitat.
In the first 8 months of 2021, there were 383 encounters and 168 farewells, and in the ambulance center, the coming and going of life became the most normal thing.
The wolf in the wolf house at the Red Hill Zoo. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
"Wilderness" can start with a zoo
In the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, an article titled "How to Show a Bullfrog" was enshrined as the "industry bible" by Western zoos. The article tells the story of building a modern zoo around a bullfrog and then showing the public how nature works.
The Red Hill Zoo tries to put the concept of display into practice in the article.
On November of this year, the zoo's native species conservation area (hereinafter referred to as the native area) was officially opened. Red foxes, wild boars, raccoon dogs, roe deer, muntjac, pheasants, hares...... These "familiar and unfamiliar" animals, which are distributed in Jiangsu and are "familiar and unfamiliar" to the public, have become residents here.
"Nowadays, a lot of people, especially children, know all about animals in Africa and South America. But there seems to be no knowledge of the animals on the doorstep. Chen Yuelong said that no animal is boring, and only by knowing and understanding animals can we have the will to protect them with actions in the future.
Like the other exhibits at the Red Hill Zoo, there are flowers and animals in the native area. Unlike other exhibition areas, in the native area, all animals, plants, and even microorganisms are the protagonists. The local area strives to maximize the relationship between people, wildlife and natural ecology, create a place to observe animals, and let the public discover that there are so many "elves" living around them.
"The local area is a place where people and nature have a dialogue, so that we can learn to respect and conform to nature. Shen Zhijun said that the zoo is not a place for hunting and entertainment for the public, let alone an isolated island surrounded by cities. It is more like the "embassy" of the animal world in different cities of human beings, guiding the public to get along with nature in a friendly way, considering the relationship between humans, wild animals and nature with the idea of harmonious symbiosis and sustainable development, and jointly protecting the earth's home on which they depend.
The ticket price of Hongshan Zoo is 40 yuan, which has not changed for many years. In 2008, the Hongshan Zoo had more than 1 million visitors, of which more than 600,000 bought tickets. In 2019, there were more than 5.3 million people and more than 1.6 million people bought tickets. "This shows that we are attracting young people other than the elderly and children who do not need to buy tickets through conservation education and event planning. It's not just about income, it's about how our work is infecting the public and making more people aware of the importance of protecting nature. Shen Zhijun said.
According to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the core goal of modern zoos is the conservation of species, and the core action is to achieve positive animal welfare.
Shen Zhijun and his colleagues are looking for a zoo that can better showcase the nature of animals and inspire the public to think about the relationship between humans and nature. "When the animals come to the visitors, full of confidence, clean and beautiful, that's what a zoo should give to the public. ”
Comment: That's what a zoo should look like
Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporters Qiu Bingqing and Lu Huadong
There is a small picture frame in Shen Zhijun's office, drawing elephants bathing, painting orangutans, cranes hatching eggs, etc., writing-
Thank you for taking such good care of the animals!
Thank you for using your brains and doing research to make the animals give birth to more babies!
Thank you for teaching the animals how to make them smarter like us!
Thank you for being like a family and making your animal's home bigger and more fun!
……
A painting given to Shen Zhijun by the children of Nanjing Taiping Lane Kindergarten. Photo by reporter Lu Huadong
This is a gift from the children of Nanjing Taiping Lane Kindergarten to Shen Zhijun, and it is also like a "summary" of his work in Hongshan Zoo for more than ten years.
In 2008, Shen Zhijun, a "novice" from the garden department to the zoo, excitedly told his son that he could come to the zoo often in the future, and was touched by his son's sentence "I'm 10 years old, and I still go to the zoo?"
Shen Zhijun, who originally studied gardens, initially had the simple idea that "the main job of a zoo is to feed the animals". It wasn't until he saw that the 10-year-old child was not interested in the zoo, and he fell into thinking: Why did the zoo lose its attraction to children? "Layman" Shen Zhijun felt that he should do something.
In his first year at Hongshan Zoo, Shen Zhijun first observed, observed animals and animal husbandry work. If you don't understand, listen, ask, explore, and look up information. Subsequently, Shen Zhijun began to visit many well-known zoos at home and abroad. There are few concrete floors and iron cages...... Shen Zhijun was shocked by the fact that these zoos tried every means to create an animal-friendly environment, "It turns out that zoos can still do this."
Shen Zhijun wanted a different zoo, a zoo that could better show the nature of animals, serve the protection of wild animals, and do a good job in public science popularization.
He put all his energy into it. Since 2009, 19 venues such as the meerkat hall, koala hall and hornbill hall have been renovated to improve the living environment of animals, so that they can live in "villas with private gardens" from "bungalows"; in 2011, animal performances in the park were cancelled; in 2014, the sale of feed for tourists to feed animals was cancelled......
Of course, there is a lot of resistance to doing this, and it takes a lot of money. In Shen Zhijun's "ledger", he and his employees are treated with a hard bar, but there is no "ceiling" for spending money on animals. Shen Zhijun is also grateful for the support of the team, "To understand the definition and value of zoos, and understand the technological frontiers of the zoo industry, it is inseparable from the support of the team and the joint efforts of everyone." ”
In Chen Yuelong's definition, when a zoo truly serves wildlife conservation, the zoo director must be an idealist who leads everyone to move forward with difficulty, and Shen Zhijun is such a person.
Shen Zhijun also brought out a team with a common trait: everyone loves it.
Chen Yuelong is breastfeeding a rescued baby weasel. Photo by reporter Qiu Bingqing
Because of his love, an administrative staff member in the park came from the northeast to participate in the application. Walking to the cat museum, talking about the subtleties of the venue design, such as a number of treasures, mentioning peaches, Yueyue, Dawang, Erwang and other characteristics is the first way. During the work break, he will also act as a volunteer commentator and a "supervisor" to popularize science for the public and stop uncivilized behaviors such as tourists knocking on glass and feeding.
Because of her love, Liu Yuanyuan took the initiative to ask to be transferred from the "comfortable" science and technology business department of the zoo to become a breeder. Because of working outdoors for a long time, my skin is a little tanned by the sun. Even with rubber boots, the trouser legs will still get wet after cleaning the cage, and the exposed ankles are covered with mosquito bags. "When I was a clerk, I knew the names, the parents, the origin of these animals, but for me they were archives," she said. When I actually raise them, it's up to me how they do each day. ”
On the afternoon of September 16, Shen Zhijun updated the photos of the first operation on a fractured hedgehog in the ambulance center on Moments. "Not only rare wild animals, but also the life and health of every animal deserve our efforts to protect them," he said. ”
In their stories, you can see the conscience of a zoo and the respect for every living being.
What should a zoo look like? Red Hill Zoo has its own answer.
Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph