I have a wildlife zoo

Over by Waterfowl Lake, more than a dozen pelicans had been introduced.

One pelican, seemingly tired from swimming, wobbled its way onto the wooden perch on the shore.

Because of their huge beaks, pelicans have head-heavy, unsteady gaits, and they walk with a comical, staggering motion that can be quite humorous to watch.

An animal keeper was nearby, explaining to the visitors, "Just now, I heard a kid calling it a 'big-mouthed bird,' which is indeed quite descriptive, ha. However, its formal name is pelican, which has nothing to do with the 'ti' of 'enlightenment.'

There's a legend that once a person who stole a slice of meat was chased to the river's edge. Desperate, he bit into the meat and jumped into the river, refusing to let go until he died. Later, that person turned into a pelican, and the stolen meat grew together with him, becoming the large pouch under the pelican's beak."

Liu Xueqing squeezed in, curiously listening to the keeper's explanation, while Yingying, uninterested, watched the elegant swans in the water with relish.

"There are a total of 8 species of pelicans, mainly distributed across Asia, Africa, and Europe, favoring warm waters. There are three species of pelicans found in our country, and the ones in our zoo are the Great White Pelicans!

They are one of the largest bird species capable of flight. When their wings are fully outstretched, they can span up to three meters in length.

Their large beaks might look clumsy, but they are actually powerful tools for the pelicans, allowing them to dip into the water swiftly with little resistance. Moreover, their beaks are highly sensitive to vibrations. Even in dim, dark waters, they can detect the movements of the water currents, which helps them catch fish with ease."

A visitor wondered aloud, "Isn't this a Great White Pelican? Why does it look a bit pinkish?"

The animal keeper laughed and said, "That's just its color. It doesn't mean it's purely white just because 'white' is in its name."

A nearby visitor felt a bit embarrassed, having just told their child that it was a flamingo.

They hadn't seen a flamingo before, but they remembered flamingos as being pink and quite large, so they got confused.

Actually, such situations are quite common in zoos!

People pointing at red pandas and calling them raccoons is nothing. There have even been more far-fetched mistakes, with some calling them weasels or skunks.

There are those who can't differentiate between lions and tigers, thinking that the ones with manes are lions and the ones without are tigers, and they ask the animal keepers why lions and tigers are kept together.

Although it might sound funny, it also reveals how little people nowadays know about animals.

Another curious kid asked, "The pouch under its beak is so thin that light can shine through. Won't it tear?"

The animal keeper was stumped by this unique question but managed to answer after hesitating for a moment, "It shouldn't, as the pelican's pouch is very elastic! It won't tear even when the fish inside are thrashing about."

The pelican stood on a round log, spread its wings, and pressed its long neck into a "Z" shape downward, with its nape pressed tightly against its back.

Then it lifted its upper body, elongated its neck, and its big beak drooped down, opening and closing as if it was drooling and babbling 'abba abba abba,' looking quite comical.

Its bright red throat pouch rippled and swung like waves.

After shaking its pouch, it raised its head and opened its beak wide in a yawn.

o口o

The visitors burst into laughter; its appearance was indeed quite amusing.

The animal keeper smiled and said, "The pelican's throat pouch is very important! You see, its pouch turns a vibrant red during the breeding season. Pelicans frequently tap their bills and shake their pouches as a way to attract a mate.

Pelicans are also birds that are very faithful in love, sticking with their chosen partner for life once they find one.

Of course, shaking their pouches also helps them to cool down."

After yawning, the pelican looked dopey.

Even standing still, its large head coupled with tiny eyes resembling black beans exuded an adorable clumsiness.

Liu Xueqing couldn't help but think, who would have thought that this seemingly simple-minded bird was actually a loyal lover!

Just then, the pelican opened its beak again, its hindhead pressed against its back as it slowly slid backwards like doing yoga.

Its pouch turned inside out under the pressure of its bent neck, until the edge of the beak caught the neck!

The exposed flesh inside looked somewhat akin to an inside-out eyelid, giving off a slightly horrifying impression.

Next to it on a log, a green-headed duck resting in the sun lifted its head, gazing at the large neighbor with acute curiosity.

Tourist: (￣口￣)!!

I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked!

"Holy shit!"

"What the heck is it doing?"

The animal keeper calmly explained, "This is a pelican cleaning its throat pouch! If there's water in the pouch, it does this to drain the water out before tucking it back in. Otherwise, the excess water would add too much weight and affect its flight."

"I see!"

The pelican shook its head and tugged at its throat pouch, then lazily retracted its neck to rest.

At that moment, Yingying tugged on Liu Xueqing's sleeve.

Liu Xueqing turned her head and asked, "What's up?"

"Mama, look at the swans!"

She had been watching two black swans in the lake.

The two black swans swam slowly towards each other by the lotus leaves, emitting loud "oh~ oh~" calls.

One swan bent its neck, dipped its head, and tapped once, then suddenly stretched its neck forward and raised its head before dipping it again.

The other swan dipped its head when its mate lifted theirs, and would raise its head when the other dipped theirs.

Taking turns, they seemed to be engaged in some sort of courtship ritual.

Gradually they swam closer together, both heads drooping, resembling shy young lovers with their heads bowed.

Their curved necks came together, forming a beautiful heart shape.

Reflected in the shimmering water, the sight alone could make one feel blissfully happy.

"Wow~"

Tourists on the shore who witnessed this romantic scene couldn't help but exclaim.

Young women in particular, their eyes sparkling, cupped their faces with their hands, dreaming of sweet love!

The more robust swan lowered its head and submerged its bright red bill into the water, seemingly to present a bunch of aquatic plants to the slightly more petite swan.

The other swan turned its head, appearing somewhat bashful, and then they both lowered their heads to peck at the water together.

The animal keeper smiled and said, "Have you ever heard of the symbolism of the black swan? Its meaning might even be more well-known than the animal itself."

A tourist who knew something about it replied, "Is it about a sudden crash in the financial market?"

The animal keeper said, "That's right. Before the 17th century, Europeans had only seen white swans and thought that swans were naturally white, as obvious as the sun rising from the east every day.

However, with the advancement of seafaring, they discovered the existence of black swans in Australia, and this firmly held belief suddenly collapsed.

Thus, the black swan is used as a metaphor for events that are unpredictable beforehand but have significant impact once they occur.

Male and female black swans look quite similar in appearance, but if you look closely, there are differences. The males are somewhat rounder and have slightly longer necks.

They only call frequently during the breeding season when they engage in duetting love songs, and their courtship is rather straightforward, lacking elaborate rituals."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xueqing stared at the two swans in the water for a long time but still couldn't spot the difference.