I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 489: Preparing for Release

After being brought back to the breeding base for a check-up, the snow leopard woke up again but still seemed rather sluggish.

It stood up from the wooden box in the corner and stared at the red brick wall, clearly disoriented!

Where is this? How did I get here?

It turned around slowly, then suddenly crouched and tucked its head in, as if startled by something!

The rescuers were just outside the enclosure, about three meters away, observing it from behind the bars.

Seeing the snow leopard’s frightened look as it turned its head, they thought it had spotted them.

Actually, it hadn’t. The snow leopard dazedly turned its head back, slowly stepped out from the wooden box in the corner, looking around uneasily and stumbling a few steps before retreating back into the box as if it felt safer there.

This was clearly not a sign of good health.

Regarding the snow leopard’s condition, there were several conjectures after discussion.

One was that the anesthesia hadn’t completely worn off, another was the impact of a concussion, or perhaps other more serious conditions.

They decided to observe it overnight to see how the snow leopard would recover.

The next morning, the situation looked good.

They sneaked a peek at the snow leopard, which was now able to jump onto a window ledge over a meter high, showing much improvement in its activity level.

When it saw people, it would lower its body and hide inside the wooden box, refusing to come out.

If it did appear in the open, the snow leopard would hiss and bare its teeth in a threatening manner.

This situation relieved Qi Yuan and the others, making them very happy!

They provided the snow leopard with a live rabbit, but it did not eat.

This was a normal reaction; the snow leopard was in a new environment and a state of stress, trying to avoid eating, drinking, and excreting as much as possible. What if it was attacked while eating?

Two days later, perhaps disliking the sight of the live rabbit, the snow leopard killed it but didn’t eat it, just casually drank some blood when it bit the rabbit to death. It also smacked down a flapping pigeon with a slap.

Qi Yuan was extremely busy these two days.

Aside from caring about the snow leopard’s health and consulting with experts, there were also interviews with journalists.

Coming back, he complained that the journalists asked why they had chosen to release the snow leopard into the wild.

It wasn’t a choice to release it; there was no other option.

If an animal met the conditions for release into the wild, it must be released, with no other alternatives.

It’s like if someone went to the hospital for a check-up and got diagnosed with a cold, it would be unreasonable to be snapped up and forced to stay in the hospital.

Although the snow leopard might look a bit dopey and not too clever, its wary state towards humans, its lively and bouncy demeanor, and all of its reactions were normal. Being healthy, of course, it had to be released back into the wild.

Another thorough examination followed, and it was in excellent health, with the wound on its forehead almost completely healed.

During the tranquilization, not only were examinations carried out, but someone from the Eco-Bridge Continental also fitted the snow leopard with a satellite tracking collar to facilitate further monitoring and research after its release.

This way, if the snow leopard approaches human areas again, an early warning can be issued to avoid conflict.

Fang Ye was seeing this type of satellite collar for the first time and asked curiously, "Won’t the snow leopard feel uncomfortable wearing this collar?"

The teacher fitting the collar explained, "Oh, this type of collar technology is very mature. We’ve conducted many tracking studies, and they don’t affect the big cat’s ability to eat or move, including mating.

It’s just a strap tied around the neck, and almost all of the weight is on the battery at the bottom, which itself is very light. When the battery runs out, the collar will automatically fall off.

As for the tightness, this snow leopard is already an adult male, so the likelihood of its neck getting much thicker is not great. When we install it, we make sure it’s better to be loose than tight to ensure there is a good degree of slackness. That way, if it gains a bit of weight later, it won’t be a big problem, and its neck won’t get too thick."

"Oh, I see!" Fang Ye said, enlightened.

The teacher smiled and said, "There are also other measures, such as installing infrared cameras nearby the area where it moves or having conservation staff observe it with telescopes to constantly check its condition. If the fur on its neck appears rubbed raw or it has difficulty eating, we can judge possible issues by observing any abnormal behavior.

If the problem is indeed severe, then we can remotely control the collar to automatically detach."

Over these few days, there have been ongoing meetings to discuss details such as the timing and location of the release.

Firstly, the release location.

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Naturally, the release is intended to occur in the animal’s original habitat where it is familiar with the environment and food sources. Otherwise, if relocated to a new place, it might face difficulty as the food is different and its hunting skills might not be as effective.

About ten kilometers north of the rescue site is a known snow leopard distribution area, connected by a road, raising concerns that the leopard might return.

We selected several alternative locations to visit and assess the situation.

Then there’s the timing of the release.

Although there’s a desire to release the snow leopard as soon as possible, because it has just been tranquilized and the effects generally last 6 to 8 hours before fully wearing off, releasing it before it’s completely alert could risk its ability to safely confront the environment.

For instance, shortly after its release, it could encounter a bear, and in its groggy state, the snow leopard could be killed.

The chances of encountering a bear this season aren’t high, but a comprehensive review is necessary for release.

Another possibility is that the snow leopard, still under the influence of tranquilizers, may think it’s still the king of the snow mountains and start jumping around on the cliffs as usual, only to slip and fall, breaking its bones.

What would have been a non-issue may become a problem, so it’s best to return it to nature when it’s fully conscious.

If we wait until it’s completely sober before release, and from Xining to an appropriate site, the total time is expected to be around four hours.

Bouncing around in a vehicle for four hours while fully conscious could place immense stress on the snow leopard, both mentally and physically, possibly leading to it frantically attacking the cage and injuring itself.

Considering this risk, the best method is to let the snow leopard complete most of the journey while still groggy from the tranquilizer and release it upon full alertness.

The optimal times for release are early morning or dusk when snow leopards are more active.

After the discussion and dinner, at 7 p.m., they loaded the cage containing the snow leopard onto a truck.

The plan was to set off overnight for Menyuan while it was still under anesthesia, stay a night at the local conservation station, and then release it into the wild in the early morning. Read exclusive chapters at novelbuddy