Chapter 689: Predator Escape Drill

Lan Li called from the living room, "Honey, dinner's ready!"

Tonight, she had prepared braised pork trotters.

"Coming!" Fang Ye sat down at the dining table and complained, "I just saw the news. A visitor went to the predator zone of a wildlife park, got out of their car, and provoked a tiger. Now I have to attend a safety meeting in the city tomorrow. It's so frustrating."

Lan Li's eyes widened, "Huh? Did they get eaten?"

Fang Ye replied, "Nope! The tigers were just left stunned."

Lan Li sighed in relief, "That's good! It seems like these incidents happen quite frequently. Every few years, you hear such news, and it's always so scary. When I first saw you getting close to Jiao Jiao, I thought you might end up on the news too."

Fang Ye said, "No worries, I'm a Grand Druid! It's different for me."

Lan Li gave a sweet smile, "I know, my husband has superpowers!"

Then, curious about something, she asked, "By the way, I have a question. Are zoo predators more dangerous than wild ones?

I feel like wild predators are fiercer. Remember Wanda Mountain No.1? It smashed a car window with one swipe. But why do we always hear about zoo animals injuring people? Is it because they're not well-treated or fed enough?

Zoo animals interact with keepers, so they should be relatively tame, right?"

Fang Ye thought for a moment and said, "Wild animals naturally avoid humans. They have their own diet, and humans are too different from their usual prey, so they don't see humans as targets.

When rescuing wild animals, the key is to maintain their unfamiliarity with humans and ensure they actively avoid people. Only then can they be released back into the wild.

Zoo animals are indeed tamer, but because they interact with humans frequently, they become desensitized, which significantly increases their unpredictability.

It's like a box of assorted chocolates; you never know what flavor you'll get next.

When they're in a good mood, they can interact with people gently. But if their mood suddenly changes, they might attack. So, zoo animals are actually more dangerous."

Lan Li nodded, "Oh, I see!"

Fang Ye added, "Zoo conditions can't compare to the wild. If the exhibit design is poor, with no hiding spots and constant human observation, the animals can easily become stressed, increasing the likelihood of attacks. This stress can build up and eventually explode.

In a zoo, animals have far more interactions with people than in the wild. Without proper safety measures, accidents are bound to happen.

If a predator decides to attack, human strength is no match.

There was a panda at the panda base that had been very gentle with its keeper for a long time. But one day, as the keeper was leaving, the panda suddenly chased after him. The keeper thought it wanted to play or ask for food, but it bit his hand instead. Seeing blood made it even more agitated, and it started biting frantically for five or six minutes.

When they finally rescued the keeper, he was covered in blood, with his limbs severely injured, and half of his hand was bitten off."

Lan Li shivered, "That's horrible! Why did you have to describe it so vividly during dinner!"

Fang Ye scratched his head apologetically, "Sorry, you asked, so I answered in detail."

As a result, Fang Ye ended up eating most of the pork trotters, while Lan Li, with her appetite affected, only had a little.

...

The next day, Fang Ye, along with several key department heads, went to the city for a meeting and carefully studied the safety protocols.

The leader first reported the recent incident of a visitor getting out of their car in the wildlife park's predator zone. He then emphasized the need for proactive safety inspections, regular skills training, and safety education for key personnel, improving staff's professional skills, safety awareness, and ability to handle emergencies. He also stressed the importance of special equipment management, emergency plans, and rescue equipment usage...

He went on and on!

Fang Ye and the other department heads also reported on the zoo's regular safety measures.

After returning to the zoo, they planned to conduct several safety drills!

They simulated scenarios where predators might escape due to unforeseen circumstances, such as an earthquake damaging the enclosure walls or a typhoon breaking trees that fall near the moat, allowing predators to use the trunks to escape. Another scenario involved a visitor accidentally falling into the predator exhibit or deliberately jumping in.

Since they couldn't use real predators for the drill, they selected a few lucky employees to wear animal costumes and play the role of escaped animals. Other employees would follow the emergency plan, simulating tranquilization and capture procedures.

Of course, the most reliable plan would be for Fang Ye to personally calm the animals, but he couldn't always be at the zoo or arrive in time.

Besides the zoo staff, the police and hospitals would also be on standby to assist.

The zoo's public account notified visitors in advance that a drill would take place at a scheduled time, apologizing for any inconvenience.

...

At 9 AM, the drill began!

Xiao Nie, behind the trees near the lion exhibit, was putting on a lion costume, followed by the headpiece.

Fang Ye, standing nearby, laughed, "How does it feel? Stuffy?"

The keepers of the predator exhibits naturally had to participate in the capture, practicing their skills. Xiao Nie, responsible for raccoons, found the drill fun and volunteered to play the animal.

Xiao Nie's voice came from under the lion headpiece, "It's okay, a bit hot, but bearable!"

"Alright, let's start!"

Fang Ye ran to a distance and spoke into the walkie-talkie, "Attention all units, attention all units, the drill is starting!"

Broadcasts echoed throughout the zoo, "Dear visitors, we are about to conduct a predator escape drill. This is not a real escape. Please do not panic and follow the broadcast instructions."

Visitors, who were touring the zoo, heard the announcement and started discussing excitedly!

"Oh, there's a drill today? I wondered why there were so many people gathered at the square earlier."

The broadcast continued, "Emergency notice: a lion has escaped from the enclosure. Please follow the keepers for shelter!"

Some visitors got into the act, screaming, "Ah!!!! A lion! Where is it?"

"Run, or we'll get eaten!"

That scream really set the mood!

A child, feeling nervous, held their parent's hand tightly, "Mom, I'm scared!"

The mom patted the child's head, reassuring, "It's okay, it's just a drill!"

Xiao Xin and Xiao Li ran over, blowing whistles and waving their hands, starting to evacuate visitors, "Don't panic! Follow us!"

Visitors nearby started running along with them!

One group of staff led visitors out, while another group began setting up barriers on the paths around the lion exhibit.