Chapter 663: The Adorable Shoebill Stork

Hearing Yumiko's praise, Liu Wei felt a sense of pride, even though the compliment was for the zoo and not him.

They arrived at the Waterfowl Lake!

A refreshing breeze brought the moist scent of the lake and the delicate fragrance of flowers.

Under the bright sunlight, the lotus leaves swayed as if displaying a graceful dance. Among the layers of lotus leaves, pink-tinged white lotuses stood tall.

Dragonflies danced among the lotuses, occasionally landing on the leaves.

The beautiful and pleasant scenery attracted visitors to stop and admire.

"Quack~ Quack~"

Several young black swans, following their parents, prepared to swim.

Quacking as they went, they lined up neatly, stepping in unison, following their parents.

They had grown significantly, with their heads reaching their parents' necks.

They no longer wobbled as they walked, and their feathers had grown in.

However, their feathers were still gray and not as strikingly black as their parents'.

Liu Wei exclaimed, "Wow, they've grown so much over the summer break!"

He remembered when they were just born, looking like inconspicuous little ugly ducklings, fluffy and gray.

Now, at two and a half months old, they already exhibited some of the elegance of adult swans.

After the parents jumped into the water, the young black swans followed with splashes, diving headfirst into the water.

They then emerged, shaking off the water droplets.

The black swans swam past the lotus leaves by the shore, reaching a wider expanse of water.

Turning to look at their trailing offspring, the parent suddenly began flapping its wings vigorously!

Its feet pounded the water, as if running on the surface, with white wings splashing water, creating ripples on the emerald lake.

It didn't take off but continued running on the water.

A visitor exclaimed, "Wow, it's like Iron Palm Floating on Water!"

Indeed, it resembled a martial arts hero using light-footed techniques to walk on water!

Seeing this, the young black swans began flapping their wings energetically!

Like dragon boat paddles, their wings moved rapidly from front to back, flapping continuously.

This was their time to learn flying skills from their parents.

The young black swans progressed at different rates; some still had half their bodies in the water, wobbling like they were doing a dance, while others, trying to stand up, flapped their wings, splashing water as they attempted to take off, resembling their parents to some extent!

It seemed they were just a bit away from lifting off the water, but that was their limit.

After running on the water for a while, they exhausted their energy and folded their wings, swimming leisurely.

The black swan parent, in high spirits, spotted a sparrow flying nearby and chased it, flying just above the water.

It didn't fly far, soon turning back and gracefully gliding over the water like a black kite.

Then, it gently landed near the young black swans, barely making a splash.

The young black swans watched their father's flight intently!

They admired their father immensely.

Some flapped their wings, mimicking their father's flight, imagining themselves flying elegantly in the sky.

Others paddled quickly, swimming back and forth, eager to practice.

The little ones were quite lively, while the black swan father watched them play with calm elegance.

With another half-month of training, they should be able to take off for real.

An elderly photographer by the shore cheerfully took pictures, "They're having so much fun in the water!"

They had witnessed the cygnets' growth day by day.

Besides black and white swans, there were also mandarin ducks, mallards, and ruddy shelducks swimming leisurely, pelicans pecking at the water or strolling on the shore, basking in the sun.

With the gently swaying green lotus leaves, clusters of reeds, rippling water, and bright golden sunlight, just watching this scene would unconsciously relax one's mind and bring a smile.

One could easily spend the whole day here, watching them swim from morning till night.

Liu Wei and Yumiko admired the waterfowl by the lake when they noticed a large blue-gray bird in the distance, surrounded by many visitors, who occasionally exclaimed or laughed.

"Hmm, what kind of bird is that? A new member?"

Curious, they approached!

This large bird, standing over a meter tall, had blue-gray feathers. Its most distinctive feature was its wide beak, resembling a pelican's but wider, flatter, and sturdier, looking somewhat like a mango!

Its beak had a sharp hook at the front.

Its large eyes, with black pupils surrounded by white, resembled those of a husky.

It had a serious yet goofy expression, with a hint of mischievousness.

Liu Wei scratched his head, "What kind of bird is this? It looks so strange! But I think I've seen pictures of it online."

Yumiko recognized it, happily saying, "I've seen this bird at a zoo before. In Japanese, it's called 'xxxxx.' I'm not sure what it's called in Chinese, but it's a very popular animal!"

The keeper introduced to the visitors with a smile, "This bird is called a shoebill stork. Its beak resembles the back of a Dutch clog, hence it's also called a shoebill!

It's a typical African wetland species, mainly found in the upper Nile River and in rivers, lakes, and wetlands."

The visitors looked at the shoebill stork, and it gazed back at them with wise eyes!

It stood motionless with its beak open, looking like a still image.

Yumiko: ⊙ω⊙

"Adorable!"

The visitors chatted excitedly, "This shoebill stork looks so funny!"

"It seems a bit daft, like Psyduck! Hey, could Psyduck be based on it?"

"With this color, it must be Steel + Flying type."

"Shoebill stork, use Rocket Headbutt!"

"Haha, it doesn't look very smart!"

"Though it looks silly, it's quite cute!"

"I find it a bit scary, afraid it might bite."

Suddenly, the shoebill stork tilted its head and blinked.

Its white nictitating membrane covered its eyes, looking like it rolled its eyes.

Then it stood up straight, its wings shaking and flapping!