I have a wildlife zoo

Chapter 434 The Right Time for Spring Plowing

Boluo conveyed Fang Ye's requests to the TV program's director.

The director was a bit unclear about Fang Ye's intentions, so he made a phone call.

He asked earnestly, "Zoo Director Fang, may I ask what you mean specifically by not wanting the program content to spread incorrect information?"

Fang Ye explained.

"Take the red pandas, for example. If you want to interact with them, we can make an exception and arrange for you to feed a slice of apple to the red pandas. Such interactions are still okay. However, hugging the red pandas and giving them kisses, that's not acceptable.

Firstly, it's very dangerous!

You could get scratched or bitten. Although red pandas look gentle, their bites are far from mild. A single bite can cause serious injury, and we had an animal keeper who was bitten not long ago.

Moreover, all of our animal keepers are vaccinated, but you are not, so the risk is even greater for you.

There are also other issues. There was once a variety show about a zoo—isn't it the one you've heard of? They used chimpanzees as actors and even dressed them up. This has a very negative impact.

Studies have specifically investigated this and found that images of chimpanzees wearing clothes and hats, appearing close to humans, mislead people into thinking they are like human companions or friends. This underestimates the risks of contact with wild animals by 35% and increases the desire to keep them as pets by 30%, which could lead to illegal wildlife trade.

It also reduces the willingness to donate to wild chimpanzee conservation organizations by 60%. The consequences are quite serious.

Since our idols have influence, they should also set a good example, right?"

After listening, the director understood Fang Ye's concerns.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: some people and zoos just outshine others!

Not long ago, I saw a TikTok of an animal keeper putting makeup on monkeys to promote eyebrow pencils.

The difference is too great.

Of course, such vile behavior soon aroused public anger and was exposed and criticized by the media.

He promised, "Sure, we'll pay attention to this aspect while filming the program and keep in constant communication with the zoo director."@@@@

Fang Ye replied with a smile, "Then there's no problem."

He then asked, "Zoo Director Fang, what kind of animal interaction programs do you usually have at the zoo?"

Fang Ye responded with a smile, "You can feed and touch the alpacas and capybaras, but we provide the food.

If they planted something like rice, they would be busy in the field for half the day, but the rice couldn't grow instantly. Nor could they wait until harvest time to come back for another shoot. What would the viewers watch then? It would be pure hard labor.

After discussing with Fang Ye, they decided to come and shoot the zoo visit in about half a month.

...

At the beginning of March, the top priority was, of course, planting!

The barren mountain that Fang Ye bought was also waiting to be cultivated.

He asked a friend who ran an ecological farm for advice and planned what to plant in each section accordingly.

The first year was mainly focused on ecological restoration!

The three hundred acres of barren mountain was not small by any means. After buying it, there weren't enough people to cultivate it, as the rural workforce was flocking to the cities. He was unable to recruit help from the farmers in the nearby villages since everyone was busy with their own farmland during the spring planting season.

So, only a small area was prepared for careful cultivation, while the rest had its compacted soil broken up, sunbathed to sterilize, and, with most of the peach trees chopped down, nothing was going to be planted there. A bit of organic fertilizer was spread inside to give some nutrients to the soil.

There were experimental fields in the zoo for educational purposes, one near the small ranch and another near the elephant exhibit.

The experimental field behind the small ranch was a total of 1500 square meters, with two acres of rice paddies and the remaining area planted with sweet potatoes. There was also a 500-square-meter cornfield beside the elephant exhibit.

Not only did they create a rice field, but they also introduced a batch of ducks into it.

The ducks could roam freely in the rice paddies, twenty ducks for two acres!

The lineup of ducks at the small ranch indeed added to the feel of a ranch.

The zoo's public account posted two articles.

One was recruiting students for the farming experience, with an age restriction—under 18 years old.

With the experimental fields totaling 2000 square meters, each child would be responsible for 20 square meters, and with 100 kids, the planting would be done.

If they couldn't manage to plant even 20 square meters... then let it be! The areas left unplanted would be handled by the zoo, and the parents who wanted to participate were also welcome.

The main goal was to let the children experience the hard work of farming and to understand the process of crop growth.

The other article was about cherry blossom viewing in spring!

Everyone was welcome to come to the zoo to enjoy the cherry blossoms. There were photography events, check-ins wearing traditional costumes, couples' activities, and some small gifts, as well as discount coupons for the zoo's restaurants.