Chapter 395 - 215: National Day Great Battle (Part 3)
Chapter 395: Chapter 215: National Day Great Battle (Part 3)
Parents led their excited children by the hand, young people held up selfie sticks, and tour group flags fluttered in the morning breeze. The din of human voices and car horns mingled, audible from a great distance.
Yang Qi had gotten up before six in the morning, first going to feed the Gray Wolf and the raccoons.
Then he went to the Beaked Eagle Cage.
Just as he’d expected, Qi Zai was gone first thing in the morning. The enclosure was empty, save for a few brown feathers scattered under the perch.
At seven o’clock, the park officially opened.
The turnstiles were instantly flooded by a sea of people.
Yang Qi changed into a dark blue vest with "Animal Observer" printed on it. With an ID card hanging from his chest, a walkie-talkie in his hand, and a single earpiece in his ear, he blended into the swelling crowds within the park.
He didn’t have a fixed route.
Starting from the plaza near the visitor center, he slowly made his way inward along the main path.
His eyes, ears, and even his sense of smell were all raised to their most acute state.
He observed his surroundings as he walked.
The low murmurs and breaths of the animals—some curious, some wary, some agitated.
In the peacock garden, a few peacocks were startled by the children’s screams. Their tail feathers flared slightly, and they paced about in agitation.
In the red panda exhibit, two red pandas huddled high up on a branch, hugging their tails. Their big, round eyes stared nervously at the dense crowd of heads below.
In the Bird District, the parrots’ calls were much shriller than usual, and the frequency of their wing-flapping had noticeably increased.
All of this was still within the normal range.
It was the animals’ instinctive, nervous reaction to a sudden increase in unfamiliar visitors.
As long as there were no extreme behaviors, it wasn’t a big problem and could be handled with some reassurance from the zookeepers.
Yang Qi didn’t stop walking. As he moved, he spoke in a low voice through his earpiece, reporting his observations to the animal management department’s dispatch center.
"Peacock garden, peacock number three is showing slight signs of agitation. Recommend the keeper add more cover."
"Red panda exhibit, both red pandas are on high alert in the branches. No signs of coming down to forage yet. Needs monitoring."
"Bird District, noise levels are a bit high. Some parrots are showing signs of stress. Recommend lowering the background music volume or temporarily closing some interactive exhibits."
"..."
From the other end of the line, the technician at the dispatch center replied clearly.
"Roger. The keepers in the relevant areas have been notified."
Yang Qi continued deeper into the park.
He passed through the children’s play area, went around Swan Lake, and arrived at the relatively quiet herbivore section.
This area was home to docile animals like sika deer, alpacas, and ponies, and had always been a popular spot for families to feed the animals and take pictures.
Today was no exception.
The outside of the fences was crowded with visitors holding carrot sticks and leafy greens. Children shrieked with excitement, trying to hand the food directly to the animals’ mouths.
A few sika deer were relatively calm, slowly chewing on the food they were being fed.
But in the alpaca area, something was a little off.
Three alpacas were separated into two adjacent enclosures.
Two in the left enclosure, and a single one in the right.
The two on the left were completely surrounded by seven or eight children, who were tossing in carrots and special feed as if it were free.
The two alpacas kept their heads down, eating quickly, but their ears twitched intermittently and their eyes darted about nervously.
As for the lone, isolated alpaca on the right...
Yang Qi’s pace slowed, his gaze locking onto it.
This alpaca had a brown and white coat and a sturdy build.
Right now, it wasn’t near the fence foraging like its companions. Instead, it stood alone at the very back of the enclosure, its back to the visitors, its head hung low, and its body trembling slightly.
Yang Qi’s sharp hearing picked up the sound of its breathing through the noisy crowd.
It was rapid and shallow, with a suppressed wheezing sound.
What caught Yang Qi’s attention even more was that the alpaca’s tail was clamped tightly between its hind legs—a sign of extreme anxiety or even fear.
And its hooves were unconsciously pawing at the dirt over and over, leaving behind a mess of tracks.
’A precursor to stereotypic behavior.’
A chill ran down Yang Qi’s spine.
He immediately raised his left hand and spoke quickly and quietly into the tiny microphone pinned to his chest, "Dispatch, this is Yang Qi. Herbivore section, alpaca exhibit. The alpaca isolated on the right is showing clear signs of stress: avoiding the crowd, rapid breathing, tucked tail, pacing and pawing the ground. Recommend immediate intervention."
The dispatch center replied promptly, "Roger. Alpaca exhibit... confirmed. That’s Sunflower, three years old. History of mild sensitivity to crowds. A keeper has been notified and is on the way."
"Roger."
Yang Qi acknowledged, but he was already walking toward the alpaca enclosure.
He didn’t approach the alpaca directly, but instead walked toward the few visitors outside who were trying to throw food over the higher fence to tease the isolated animal.
"Hello, parents and children."
Yang Qi put on a polite and professional smile, his voice gentle. "This alpaca might be feeling a little unwell today, so it’s a bit shy. How about we leave it be for now? You can go feed the other two next to them. They’re very healthy and love to interact with everyone."
He pointed to the two alpacas on the left.
A young mother, looking a little embarrassed, pulled back the vegetable leaf in her hand. "Oh, okay, of course. I’m so sorry, we didn’t know it wasn’t feeling well."
Seeing this, the other few visitors also dispersed sheepishly, though some curious children still clung to the railing, peering inside.
Yang Qi subtly shifted his position to stand between the stressed alpaca and the visitors, using his body to create a small visual barrier.
"Brother Qi."
The zookeeper ran over, panting. He glanced at the situation in the enclosure, and his expression changed. "’Sunflower’ is having an episode again?"
"Yes, her stress reaction is quite pronounced."
Yang Qi said in a low voice, "It would be best to guide her into the back enclosure to let her calm down for a while. There are too many visitors out here."