Chapter 695: Dolphins Stranded?

Admiring his design for the Butterfly Pavilion, Fang Ye felt quite satisfied!

Once it's built and butterflies are fluttering among the flowers, the scene will surely be beautiful.

However, even after the pavilion is built, it can only officially open when the temperature rises in February or March, when the caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies.

With the local animals well-displayed and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums certificate in hand, Fang Ye could consider introducing some rare foreign animals!

The first animal that came to his mind was the koala!

Koalas are very popular animals, akin to superstars in the animal kingdom.

With their chubby bodies, round heads, and adorable, lazy appearance as they hang motionless on trees, they are very endearing.

Though their numbers are relatively high in Australia, as a national treasure and symbol, importing them is extremely difficult.

Like giant pandas, they are only rented, not sold, with strict controls on the number of loans.

Ordinary zoos can't afford to keep koalas, as they need a constant supply of fresh eucalyptus leaves from Australia, costing three to four million yuan annually.

Alternatively, building a eucalyptus base of over a hundred acres to ensure supply is very costly!

Previously, only two zoos in China had koalas.

The koalas in the Capital Zoo died years ago, and efforts to reintroduce them have not been approved.

A few years ago, large wildfires in Australia drastically reduced the koalas' natural habitat, making it even harder to import them now.

However, as a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Linhai Zoo might have a chance to introduce a few.

If koalas are introduced, some kangaroos should also be brought in. Kangaroos are much easier to keep, with mature breeding practices, and can be bought from other domestic zoos.

Fang Ye contacted Australian zoos.

...

Near noon, Fang Ye sat at the cafeteria table, ready to eat while browsing his phone.

He saw someone in the zoo's WeChat group share a TikTok video!

The background showed a muddy coastal beach with various muddy pits reflecting the sunlight.

As the camera moved, it revealed several black, smooth-skinned animals lying in the mud pits, their dorsal fins exposed, motionless.

The person filming exclaimed, "Wow, so many dolphins stranded!"

"Ugh, it's heartbreaking to see."

Fang Ye shook his head and showed the video to Lan Li.

Lan Li looked distressed, "These dolphins are so pitiful!"

Fang Ye sighed, "Strandings of whales and dolphins are becoming more frequent. I saw one a few months ago."

Lan Li asked, "Why is that?"

Although Fang Ye didn't plan to keep whales or dolphins in the zoo, he had studied the topic seriously due to the presence of Baiji dolphins on Blue Star.

He explained, "There isn't a definitive explanation for whale and dolphin strandings, but marine biologists generally believe there are several reasons.

Natural causes include chasing fish to shallow waters during hunting, or being injured or old, leading to decreased mobility and getting trapped during low tide.

More frequent strandings nowadays are largely due to human impact.

Global warming causes changes in climate and ocean currents, altering migration routes and increasing the chances of getting lost.

Pollution and toxins from industrial and agricultural production enter the food chain and accumulate in whales and dolphins, especially during algal blooms, leading to poisoning or death.

Various human-made chemicals polluting the ocean can cause fetal deformities and neurological issues in marine mammals, impairing their navigation.

Moreover, the increasing number of ships and underwater equipment raises the chances of collisions. Sonar can disrupt the echolocation of whales and dolphins, damaging their hearing and causing them to lose direction and strand.

Whales and dolphins are social animals, and some species form large groups. If the leader gets lost, the group may follow and strand while trying to rescue each other."

"Oh~"

As they spoke, someone in the group tagged Fang Ye.

Little Dolphin: "@Fang Ye, Director Fang, is this near Linhai?"

Cloud Leopard: "Director Fang, any updates?"

Fang Ye's eyes widened, "Wow! This is in Linhai!"

Lan Li was also shocked, "What!?"

They realized the issue was close to home!

Fang Ye quickly checked TikTok. In the comments, someone asked where the video was taken, and the uploader replied it was in Linhai. Others suggested reporting it to the authorities immediately.

Nowadays, people instinctively film videos when encountering something.

Last time, when rescuing the snow leopard in Xiye, the video spread locally before someone contacted Director Qi.

Fang Ye's phone rang—it was Officer Wang, an old acquaintance.

Sounding anxious, he said, "Director Fang, there's an emergency! A group of dolphins is stranded in the East District. We need your zoo's expertise!"

Fang Ye replied seriously, "I know! I just saw the video. I'll prepare and head over immediately."

"Hurry, our police car is on its way to the zoo to escort you! Let us know if you need anything!"

Fang Ye thought for a moment, "Cetaceans overheat easily and must stay in water. It's noon now, and exposure to the sun could be fatal before we arrive. Ask nearby people to shade them and pour water on them!

Also, I need to know what kind of dolphins they are. The video only shows an outline. Are there any more photos?"

"I'll send you the caller's number!"

Fang Ye added the caller on WeChat, noting he was the director of Linhai Zoo, and quickly received close-up photos.

He sent them to "Little Dolphin" in the zoo's WeChat group: "Dolphin expert, urgent! What are these? What should we prepare for rescue?"

"Little Dolphin," who ran an aquarium, was experienced and knowledgeable.

After a brief look, he replied, "These are melon-headed whales! You can see the blowhole on their heads and their pointed, melon-like heads."

He then sent a long voice message detailing the necessary rescue preparations.

The system notification sounded: "Ding, a new task has been issued!"

[

Task: Rescue the Melon-Headed Whales (0/7)

Task Time: 8 hours

Description: A group of migrating melon-headed whales is stranded in the mudflats, their lives hanging by a thread!

Reward: The reward depends on the number of successfully rescued melon-headed whales. The more rescued, the better the reward!

]