Chapter 701: Rewarding the Sea Lions!

Regarding the expansion of the zoo, Mayor Bai said that it would be discussed in a meeting later.

Although there was no direct promise, it seemed almost certain!

He also encouraged Fang Ye to continue improving the zoo.

"Alright, I won't let you down!"

After finishing the call with Mayor Bai, a system notification sounded.

"Ding! The stranded melon-headed whales were rescued in time, and most of them survived."

"Rescue of melon-headed whales (5/7), completion rating: Excellent!"

Fang Ye couldn't hide his excitement and rubbed his hands together!

"Reward obtained: 8 South African sea lions!"

South African sea lions, also known as Cape fur seals, measure 1.8-2.7 meters in length and weigh 120-400 kg, making them the largest type of sea lion!

When people think of sea lions, they often picture them balancing balls, spinning, and clapping their flippers.

They are regular performers in marine animal shows. However, at Linhai Zoo, they would not be made to perform such acts.

After the South African sea lions arrive, they can be placed next to the penguin exhibit, creating a marine theme alongside the banded penguins.

Marine pollution is a severe issue; scientists once tried to estimate how much plastic enters the ocean each year, but it was challenging to get accurate numbers.

After assembling a team of scientists from various fields, they conducted research and came up with a shocking figure: 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean annually! This figure doesn't even include other types of marine debris.

To put it in perspective, it's like dumping 1,000 tons of plastic into the ocean every hour, or a truckload of plastic every minute.

The data also shows that plastic consumption is rising, and by 2050, this amount will double, meaning there will be more plastic in the ocean by weight than fish.

This older statistic has already been surpassed. The latest report indicates that without intervention, this amount will triple in 10 years.

This marine plastic causes numerous problems, with over one million marine animals dying from plastic each year.

For example, whales and dolphins may strand due to weakness from ingesting plastic. A whale once stranded on the Thai coast had 80 plastic bags in its stomach. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their favorite food, and eat them without hesitation, leading to fatal digestive blockages.

A marine-themed exhibit can educate visitors about these issues and could eventually expand into an aquarium.

...

The news of the successful release of the two remaining melon-headed whales was also reported.

Netizens expressed some regret, surprised that they were released so quickly, in just a few days!

They were still voting and discussing names for the whales, with "Gua Gua," "Raw Melon," and "Melon Skin" being popular choices.

"They looked so beautiful leaping at sunset!"

"My dear Gua Gua, I'll miss you!"

"It's good they were released. No more worries. I hope they stay safe and have a smooth journey!"

"Thank you to the staff!"

"Linhai Zoo is really great. MD, I saw a news article recently about Hengshui Zoo giving cigarettes to monkeys. How can there be such a big difference between zoos?"

"Wow, that's crazy!"

"I'm from Hengshui, and it's embarrassing that our hometown is famous for this reason again."

"What's even more frustrating is that many people in the comments didn't see anything wrong with giving cigarettes to monkeys, saying it's no big deal. Look at this comment: 'When did disrespecting animals become something to be condemned?'"

"Sigh, even in the new century, many zoos have outdated concepts, stuck in the era of circus performances... We still lack excellent zoos that can educate people with the right knowledge, or else we'll keep seeing such bizarre opinions."

"They're just using it as a gimmick to make money! Not long ago, there was a hotel in a zoo where a red panda wandered into a guest's room. It was so scared, trying to find a place to hide, and people were commenting how cute it was..."

"I saw that video too! The top comment with 17k likes said, 'In a Nordic hotel, the same thing would be praised for its harmonious atmosphere, but look at our comments today, full of accusations. The only fault is that the red panda wasn't born in Northern Europe.'"

"So, the best way for ordinary people to protect animals is not to do professional and amazing things like rescuing whales or conducting field research. Just knowing some basic facts and spreading the right information when encountering such news is already great."

...

Fang Ye contacted an Australian zoo about introducing koalas.

However, the zoo couldn't make decisions about the national treasure koalas.

They provided him with the contact information of the relevant agency. The agency didn't reject them outright upon hearing that they were members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums!

It seemed promising.

Next, they needed to fill out various application forms, and after submitting them, there would be a qualification assessment. It was a complicated process for a national treasure.

Compared to introducing giant pandas, Fang Ye was much more relaxed about the koalas.

He would be happy if they succeeded, but not too disappointed if they didn't.

Although he liked koalas, his feelings for the giant pandas were much deeper.

When he told Lan Li, she was overjoyed. She loved fluffy and cute animals the most.

Holding her cheeks, she looked incredibly dreamy: "Koalas are super cute! Unfortunately, there's only one zoo in the country that has them, too few. I've never had the chance to see one in person."

Fang Ye laughed, "When we introduce koalas, you can see them every day!"

"Didn't you say it's very difficult to introduce koalas?"

"If we can't get them, we'll go on a trip to Australia to see their amazing animals."

"Hehe, I still hope our zoo can have them!"

Lan Li suddenly remembered something and excitedly said, "By the way, should we get a fennec fox? Fennec foxes are also super cute!"

Fennec foxes are the smallest canids in the world, known for their unusually large ears.

Some visitors had previously suggested introducing fennec foxes to the zoo!

Fang Ye thought about it. The giant beast area housed animals like hippos, giraffes, and southern white rhinos, all from Africa. Creating an African-themed exhibit with animals like fennec foxes, meerkats, and warthogs would be perfect.

However, there was no space behind the giant beast area, so he hadn't considered introducing them yet.

With the zoo expansion application approved, they could build more exhibits and introduce more animals.