Chapter 588: Feather Replacement Surgery

The two snakes lay quietly together under the lamp, basking peacefully, creating a harmonious and loving scene!

Curious about the term "cold-blooded animals," Yan Ganghui asked Lu Ye for clarification.

It turns out that "ectothermic animals" is the accurate term. Being ectothermic simply means they can better conserve energy, maintaining physiological functions with less energy, which has nothing to do with intelligence or emotions.

Rattlesnakes can increase the volume of their tail sound when a threat approaches, stay silent while hunting, and even stop rattling to avoid human hunters, showing they are quite intelligent creatures. They are far from being the brainless creatures people often imagine.

They exhibit behaviors like accepting other snakes, taking their young for walks, protecting their offspring, and visiting relatives, which all seem quite "human-like."

In contrast, some people's tolerance seems less than that of these "cold-blooded and heartless" snakes.

Seeing a snake or other creatures like spiders or centipedes often leads to calls for their extermination, not necessarily because they pose a threat, but simply out of dislike.

What once seemed unproblematic now seems questionable after learning more about them.

If they are considered dangerous and scary, keeping a respectful distance should suffice. Why must they be eradicated? Who is really more dangerous here?

With these thoughts, Yan Ganghui left the display of the diamondback rattlesnakes.

After a tour around the reptile house, he gained a lot of new knowledge and greatly changed his impression of snakes.

...

After the opening of the hot spring inn at the zoo, many visitors shared videos and photos on various social media platforms!

"Had a great time soaking in the hot spring at Linhai Zoo today!"

Especially the experience videos shot by beautiful women, where the environment was secondary to the open display of swimwear, causing quite a stir among netizens!

"If I were the only man there, I'd drink all the pool water!"

"Big data is so annoying these days, always pushing these lowbrow things to me… Oh, it's actually what I like to see, so it's fine!"

"Stay calm and collected, even if the sky falls!"

"Why do I only encounter older women when I go to mixed baths!?"

"Day one of abstaining, day one of abstaining, day two of abstaining, day one of abstaining."

"Wow, are you teleporting in place?"

Local forums also had many discussions, with relatively more serious content!

"When did Linhai Zoo get a hot spring? How's the pricing? I want to take my family for a soak!"

"If you have the budget, you can book a small courtyard with a private bath for 1200 yuan a night! It's quite affordable, especially with current discounts."

"I recommend trying the hot spring with herbal baths! You'll feel refreshed and full of energy."

"1500 yuan is a bit steep, honestly. I felt bad for my wallet and didn't buy it! I just spent 20 yuan on a pack of sakura petals, which was also quite nice."

"Wow, isn't this a rip-off?"

"It's a bit pricey, but the effect is genuinely good. You'll regret not trying it! I'm not kidding. Linhai Zoo's ticket prices are so cheap, they've never ripped anyone off; it's always value for money."

With word spreading, the hot spring inn's weekend rooms quickly sold out.

Even tourists from nearby cities, impressed by the online videos, planned to visit and soak in the hot springs.

...

At the zoo's veterinary hospital, Fang Ye and several veterinarians, including Lin Ying, gathered around the operating table, observing the situation.

On the operating table lay an Indian scops owl. Its head was covered with a thin white towel to avoid stress.

Today, they were performing a special surgery on this patient!

Lin Ying held scissors, cutting metal wires, while Fang Ye comforted the owl, "It's okay, be good, don't be afraid!"

This comfort might not be necessary, as the owl was quite resilient!

It had been brought in a month ago after being accidentally hit by a car while flying.

When it arrived at the rescue center, it had blood in its mouth, its wings were damaged, and its feathers were scattered.

It let out pitiful cries, struggling constantly, trying to flap its wings, looking very miserable.

The injuries were severe!

The doctors did their best to stop the bleeding and clean the wounds, but whether it would recover was up to fate.

By the second day at the rescue center, its head tilted to one side and couldn't straighten.

Diagnosis revealed it was due to intracranial bleeding pressing on nerves.

At the time, no one had high hopes, thinking it might soon die.

But this Indian scops owl showed everyone the tenacity of life!

Though it walked shakily like it had Parkinson's, often falling over, it still tried to feed itself without needing help, showing a strong will to survive.

The doctors massaged its muscles daily and added nerve-nourishing medication to its food.

With careful care, the owl's condition slowly improved, getting better each day.

It stopped falling while walking, and its head gradually straightened.

However, its wing injuries were still severe!

Many feathers were broken and damaged, preventing it from flying again.

After discussions, they decided to perform a "feather transplant" surgery.

Since the rescue center was established last year, they had been collecting feathers from birds of prey, some naturally shed, some from those that didn't survive, processed and stored in a "feather bank."

They would use these collected feathers to replace the damaged ones on the owl.

But this owl needed many replacements, so they had to string the feathers together!

Lin Ying cut a piece of fine metal wire to the appropriate length, which would act as a metal skeleton.

She then compared it to the owl's feathers and threaded the intact feathers onto the wire, securing them with surgical adhesive.

Meanwhile, another doctor carefully removed the damaged feathers from the owl.

Fang Ye used his observation skills to monitor the owl's condition, ready to use a calming technique if it made any sudden movements.

The surgery, though seemingly simple, was intricate and time-consuming, expected to take several hours.

If it were a shorter operation, they could use anesthesia, but for such a long time, the dosage might be fatal.

The calming technique was much more effective than anesthesia.

However, the owl remained cooperative and strong, allowing the doctors to handle its wings without making a sound, only moving slightly once!

Several hours later, the surgery was successfully completed!

Fang Ye didn't even need to use the calming technique.

Everyone smiled as they looked at the owl's new, beautiful wings.

When the owl eventually grows new feathers, the glued ones will naturally fall off.

They all extended their hands, happily high-fiving in celebration, "Yay!"

The doctors returned the owl to its enclosure to recover, and at that moment, Fang Ye heard a long-missed system prompt.