I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 725 - 724 Pallass Cat in Heat

“You’ve really picked up some bad habits.”

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“I’ve learned them from you.”

Lan Li smiled sweetly, no longer teasing, and brought a segment of orange to Fang Ye’s mouth.

Oranges were among Fang Ye’s favorite fruits. The oranges just taken out of the refrigerator were slightly chilled, making them taste even better.

With one bite, the tangy, sweet, and icy flavor burst in his mouth, lifting his spirits considerably.

“How is it, is it good?”

“Delicious.”

Fang Ye took the orange, his lips curving into a smile, “Here, have a segment too.”

Lan Li took a bite of the orange, and as they looked at each other, smiles brimmed on their faces.

Huahua was lying on Fang Ye’s lap, curled up like a plump chicken drumstick, basking in the sun lazily.

Seeing the sweet display between Fang Ye and Lan Li, she wordlessly flipped over.

Hey, I’m just a harmless little kitty, but you guys are the real deal.

Showcasing your lovey-dovey behavior in front of me all the time without considering my feelings.

A month flew by, and the Pallas’s cats began to go into heat.

The breeding of Pallas’s cats was a key focus of the zoo’s program this year, and for this, Fang Ye had numerous discussions and exchanges with Qi Yuan.

Breeding Pallas’s cats was extremely difficult, arguably more challenging than breeding giant pandas.

Since giant pandas are considered national treasures, they receive the most attention and research effort; with so many pandas mating at breeding bases, a lot of experience has been accumulated.

There are only a few zoos, both domestic and international, that keep Pallas’s cats, which means limited references, and breeding methods in the US and Europe are markedly different. Whether their expertise is applicable here also requires continuous exploration and practice.

Xining Zoo’s initial attempts at breeding Pallas’s cats all failed due to a lack of funds; there wasn’t even enough for installing surveillance to monitor, making it hard to identify and learn from issues without video records.

In the past few years, surveillance cameras were installed in the Pallas’s cats’ activity area, indoor shelter, and breeding nest boxes, collecting much valuable data and summarizing experiences from failures, slightly paving the way for successful Pallas’s cat breeding.

The number one foe in breeding Pallas’s cats was undoubtedly toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis has a low incidence rate in the wild, and Pallas’s cat kittens are particularly susceptible to it—this common feline parasite can easily be fatal to the young.

As a result, animal keepers must go through strict disinfection every time they enter and exit the Pallas’s cat exhibit’s back area, and also administer medication before breeding starts.

Furthermore, Pallas’s cats are super sensitive and prone to stress, which manifests as moving their nests.

Sun Shangxiang had given birth to kittens once and must have been startled by something, as she kept carrying them in her mouth, wanting to move them to a new nest.

Carrying the baby around the activity area, even leaping and jumping, Zoo Director Qi watched the surveillance with his heart in his throat, terrified that Sun Shangxiang would accidentally bite the baby to death.

During the birthing period, her alertness was incredibly high; the animal keeper had just left the control room and stepped into the corridor when Sun Shangxiang could hear it, returning to her den to guard the babies, leaving no chance to take them out for hand-rearing.

Throughout rearing, there were bouts of diarrhea and bloody stools; if forced to move, Sun Shangxiang would probably rather die than submit.

She was sensitive and fragile. Although she underwent desensitization training, it wasn’t very effective.

The baby was also very fragile, with occasional health issues like vomiting and diarrhea.

When a baby died, trying to remove the stillborn from the den required outwitting Sun Shangxiang, devising a plan of action.

For Fang Ye, these problems were relatively manageable.

The Pallas’s cat exhibit had a high-altitude simulator, and there were prize-winning pills for parasites that could be taken without toxic side effects, safeguarding the Pallas’s cat’s health and minimizing the impact of toxoplasmosis.

If a Pallas’s cat got stressed, he could come over and toss a calming treat.

Still, he thoroughly prepared by learning from the breeding experiences at Xining Zoo.

Sun Dasheng and Sun Yuanxiao were both in good condition; perhaps due to the zoo being closed with no visitors to disturb them, they seemed even more spirited than usual.

The morning of February 10th.

Sun Dasheng came to Sun Yuanxiao’s den to court her, but Sun Yuanxiao refused.

Sun Yuanxiao really disliked Sun Dasheng who, relying on his strength, always fought with her for food and intimidated her.

You bully me like this on regular days, and now you expect to sleep with me? Dream on!

She just didn’t want to stay near Sun Dasheng; if there was another Pallas’s cat to choose for mating, she definitely wouldn’t choose this brute.

Seeing that his advances were useless, Sun Dasheng tried to force himself on her, but Sun Yuanxiao resolutely resisted!

She scampered up a tree in the activity area, taking the advantageous high ground; Sun Dasheng would get a fierce smack if he tried to follow her up.

Sun Dasheng was also patient, pacing under the tree until the afternoon, ready to play the waiting game, prompting the animal keepers to intervene.

After reporting the situation, they separated Sun Dasheng for a time and advised him, “Great Saint, a melon forced off its vine isn’t sweet!”

Sun Dasheng was reluctant; heh, not sweet but it quenches thirst!

With Sun Dasheng removed, Sun Yuanxiao could finally come down to eat and drink.

When the New Year arrived.

This year, due to the pandemic, Fang Ye spent New Year’s at Linhai, enjoying a meal at Lan Li’s home.

Lan Li also helped cook several dishes for the New Year’s Eve dinner; with her newfound free time, she had been perfecting her cooking skills, experimenting with something new every day, making significant progress.

Fang Ye felt he had gained several pounds lately.

They watched the Spring Festival Gala together, though there weren’t many programs of interest.

However, everyone was accustomed to watching the gala each year, tuning in to soak up the festive atmosphere.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Fang Ye said goodbye to Lan Li’s parents, and the two returned to the zoo.

Fang Ye was on the sofa, scrolling through his phone, sending New Year’s greetings to friends.

“Zoo Director Qi, Happy New Year!”

Zoo Director Qi replied with a bowing emoticon, “Zoo Director Fang, Happy New Year! By the way, how are Sun Dasheng and Sun Yuanxiao doing recently?”

Fang Ye scrolled through his phone and sent a couple of photos of the Pallas’s cats, “Heh, just a few days ago, Sun Dasheng was trying to force himself on Sun Yuanxiao, but he didn’t succeed!”

“Haha, that’s normal. Sun Simiao is also a scoundrel; just after Sun Shangxiang gave birth last year, he was fooling around outside with Sun Xiaoman. Sun Shangxiang was so angry, nearly lost the baby,” said Zoo Director Qi.