I have a wildlife zoo

Chapter 173 Collapse a Xiaohu's Face

Actually, Zhang only gave the visitors a brief primer, after all, this is the wolf exhibit, where the emphasis is primarily on wolves; the reasons behind the decline in the elk population in Yellowstone National Park are somewhat more complex.

Indeed, the deer in Yellowstone are not moose but elk.

This confusion can be traced back to a historical issue, where someone, during the initial translation, mixed up moose, caribou, and elk, leading to a series of errors in dictionaries including reputable sources like "Ciyuan" and "Zoology Dictionary." Corrections appeared in scientific journals at the end of the 20th century, but even now, many still mistakenly refer to elk as moose.

One reason for the decline in elk numbers is a decrease in pregnancy rates. Initially, people thought it was due to wolves causing stress, but later research showed that wolves weren't really to blame.

The main issue stemmed from climate change leading to severe drought, reducing the supply of the elk's primary food source and resulting in poor nutrition for the female elk, which significantly lowered pregnancy rates.

Another reason for the decline in elk numbers was an increase in calf mortality rates, with 70% of calves dying within their first year. Biologists tracking the calves found that only a small portion were killed by gray wolves; most were killed by bears.

In the past, grizzly bears in Yellowstone rarely preyed on elk, as their favorite food was cutthroat trout from the rivers. However, in the 1980s, due to fishing enthusiasts stocking the lakes with lake trout, a typical tragedy of an invasive species eradicating a native species unfolded, with lake trout wiping out the cutthroat trout.

Lake trout are different from cutthroat trout, living in deeper waters, beyond the grizzly bears' reach, leading the bears to turn their focus on the elk instead.

Whether it's the increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years or the invasion of non-native species, both are intricately linked to human activities.

This tells us that ecosystems are incredibly complex. They are simple to disrupt, and once damaged, they are difficult to restore and may never return to their original state.

After listening to Zhang's explanation, a father looked thoughtful, "I indeed had prejudices against wolves before. I was going to tell my daughter the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, but now I think it's better to tell her the story of Yellowstone National Park and the wolves, to explain the role of wolves in the ecosystem!"

An elderly man lamented, "Ah, so it turns out that not only dogs are man's best friend, but wolves are too!"

Zhang smiled and praised, "What you said is correct, Grandpa. In fact, all animals are our friends."

A visitor murmured, "Are flies, rats, and mosquitoes friends too? If I see them, I definitely swat them."

Someone couldn't help but chuckle at this comment.

Although the remark sounded argumentative, Zhang thought for a moment and seriously explained, "These animals might indeed be annoying to humans, and I also slap a mosquito whenever I see one. However, if it weren't for animals like rats and cockroaches dealing with rotting food and bodies, more bacteria and diseases would breed.

Then he noticed the watermelon in Fang Ye's arms, slightly puzzled, "Is he going to feed the tigers watermelon? Tigers don't eat veggies, right?"

At this time, Jiaojiao was leisurely strolling by the pond with a relaxed air, while Ice Cake lay snoozing on the grass, twitching its ears without much reaction.

Noticing Fang Ye's arrival, Jiaojiao glanced at the sleeping Ice Cake, lowered her head to bite its neck, and leisurely carried it to him, her amber eyes gently looking at him as if to show off, "See, haven't I taken good care of our child?"

Ice Cake, who had been asleep, was now dangling from its neck in mid-air, half awake with eyes half open, kicking its legs slightly, its eyes filled with confusion and discontent, "What's going on? What happened?"

The visitors burst into laughter, "Wow, look at this little tiger, it's all over his face – so happy!"

"The little tiger seems to be saying, 'Mom, this is so embarrassing for me!'"

"The fact that a child is willing to be carried like this shows a lot of trust. It's clear to see that the director has a really good relationship with the tigers!"

Jiaojiao placed Ice Cake on the ground after a short ride; Ice Cake steadied itself with a wobble after being set down.

Seeing his favorite Fang Ye, Ice Cake forgot the unpleasantness of moments before and joyfully cried out "Waahh!" while greeting his dad and playfully biting into his slipper.

Fang Ye patted Jiaojiao's big head and stroked it gently, "Hey there, good girl, you've worked hard taking care of the child. But you didn't need to carry Ice Cake over, I could have walked over myself."

He instinctively wanted to wrap his arms around Jiaojiao's neck for a good petting, but with a watermelon in his arms, he could only stroke with one hand.

He had indeed brought the watermelon today to feed the tigers!

Actually, tigers eat not only meat but also some vegetables and fruits.

Although feline animals have weak absorption capabilities for plants, they can obtain vitamins and minerals from plants that are not found in meat, and eating veggies isn't for hunger.

Additionally, when tigers in the wild feed, they generally swallow their food whole, including the fur. Plus, they frequently clean their fur with their tongues. This fur, if it collects inside the tigers' bodies, is not conducive to digestion. At that time, they will eat some grass to help bind the undigestible fur and bones to form fur balls, which they then expel.

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