I have a wildlife zoo

Chapter 327 One Life, One Pair of Birds

The hornbill couple were affectionate with each other while feeding.

Although birds do not have as expressive faces as humans, the gentle touching of their massive beaks, the leaning of their heads towards each other, and the eye contact made it clear to anyone that they were a loving pair!

The act of passing food to each other's mouths was no different from that of human lovers feeding each other.

The animal keeper explained, "Hornbills are extremely faithful birds! They practice monogamy for life, never changing partners. If one dies, the other won't seek out a new love but will instead become depressed and starve to death in mourning."

The tourists were astounded!

Who would have thought that such exquisite love could exist among animals?

"Wow, so faithful. A lifetime, a pair of birds!"

"Sometimes, when people curse, they say 'worse than beasts,' thinking beasts represent the lowest of the low. But in many ways, beasts are much better than us humans! Not just physically, but also in character!"

"Indeed, this kind of love that lasts until death could become a timeless classic among humans, like the stories of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, or Meng Jiangnu weeping over the Great Wall!"

The animal keeper asked, "When you think of birds that symbolize love, what comes to mind?"

Immediately, a tourist replied, "Mandarin ducks!"

"This is a common misconception! Everyone sees the mandarin ducks' beautiful plumage and graceful demeanor, always appearing in pairs and grooming each other, flaunting their love, right? They look so sweet.

Ancient people liked to use mandarin ducks as a symbol of love. Many poems and paintings include them, like in 'Peafowl Flying Southeast,' where it says branches shelter with branches, leaves join with leaves, featuring a pair of flying birds, self-named as mandarin ducks. In some customs that have been passed down to today, at weddings, couples are given a red, festive wedding quilt.

And what's embroidered on them? Mandarin ducks.

But actually, mandarin ducks have nothing to do with faithful love. If one mate dies, the other one will simply find a new partner. Moreover, once the female mandarin duck starts raising chicks, the male won't bother to help -- that's where the love story ends."

After having children, they just don't care anymore, doesn't that sound a bit like a deadbeat?"

Many tourists looked shocked, their worldview shattered!

"No kidding, my wedding quilt was embroidered with mandarin ducks!"

"The most commonly heard saying about mandarin ducks is 'beating the mandarin ducks,' forcefully separating someone's love. Turns out, there's no need for force; they'll split up on their own."

"I've heard that too! Apparently, not only do mandarin ducks have flashy feathers, but their hearts are also fickle."

"So, in the future, when you wish happiness to others, don't say 'May your love be as perfect as mandarin ducks, affectionate as such.' Saying that might just get you punched. Instead, say 'May you be as faithful as hornbills or swans!' Swans are also monogamous for life."

The animal keeper joked, then continued, "Actually, the bird that can best symbolize love is the hornbill. Why do I say this?

Hornbills have a very unique way of raising their young! When the breeding season arrives, they find a tree hollow, which they process and refine into a nest.

Then, the hornbill mother will enclose herself inside the tree hollow, using leftover food bits and feces mixed together to block the entrance, while the hornbill father also brings mud and mixes it with fruit and wood chips to seal the entrance, leaving only a small hole through which the hornbill mother can extend her beak.

After that, the hornbill mother incubates the eggs and raises the chicks inside the hollow, safe from the elements and protected from predators like snakes and raptors.

Imagine this – the hornbill mother stays inside the tree hollow, completely enclosed for several months. This represents tremendous trust in the hornbill father. If one day the father dies outside, the mother would starve to death inside.

The hornbill father also endures a lot of hardship. Throughout the entire process of egg incubation and chick raising, he is constantly searching for food outside, making repeated trips to feed. Initially, he only needs to feed the hornbill mother, but later he must also provide for several little hornbills.

After the entire chick-rearing period had passed, the bird fathers would be exhausted and their bodies emaciated.

The hornbill mother would only break out when the little hornbill's feathers became full. She would peck open the opening from inside and, together with the hornbill father, they would jointly nurture their baby."

"Wow!"

The visitors all listened with wide-eyed wonder, looking at the two hornbills touching beaks and gazing at each other with tender affection. Their gazes were filled with a newfound respect!

They had been amazed before, but now they were truly shocked!

"It's magical! Such an extraordinary behavior!"

"It really is a life-and-death bond!"

"Hornbills are so loving! They are the model couple, both loving and family-oriented!"

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"When I get married, I'm going to order a set of hornbill-themed blankets and pillows! Hey, could you guys at the zoo consider making some hornbill merchandise?"

The animal keeper scratched his head and said, "That, I'll pass on your suggestion!"

Liu Xueqing, deeply moved by the discussion, said to Yingying's father, "Gee, whether it's humans or animals, raising kids really isn't easy!"

Of course, raising children isn't just hard work; watching them grow can also be a lot of fun.

She smiled and patted Yingying's head, "Right? Sometimes you should be understanding of your mom and dad."

Yingying blinked her eyes and pouted, "I'm already very sensible!"

Both adults laughed, "Yes, sensible!"

As a baby, Yingying had been quite well-behaved, seldom crying. Some babies are particularly fussy, keeping everyone awake all night. Yingying remembered being praised for being good and felt quite proud of it.

Just then, a pleasant whistle sounded.

The visitors couldn't help but look up at the sky, where they saw a colorful cloud of parrots quickly rise and head towards a giant tree.

The aviary conducted several flight shows in the morning and afternoon!

Initially, it was thought that more training would be required before the flight shows could proceed. However, on the one hand, other zoos that purchased parrots also trained them for recall, and on top of that, the macaws at Linhai Zoo were quite influential. With their leadership, much of the time needed for adjustment was saved.

From the aerial walkway, Fang Ye beckoned, and the parrots "whooshed" to his side. Jinzhi's parrots scurried to perch on his shoulders and head, while the others seeing this, landed on the branches overhead!

It was as if the tree was adorned with clusters of colorful parrot fruits, their "caws" creating a cacophony.

Mi Jin saw the macaws landing on Fang Ye's head and jostling for a spot on his shoulder, which looked amusing. She interviewed, "Director, do your parrots talk? What can they say?"

Fang Ye laughed, "Of course they do, and they can say quite a bit. Why don't you try greeting it?"

Before Mi Jin could speak, Jin Martin was already saying, "Hello, hello!"

Caught by surprise, Mi Jin laughed and responded in kind, "Hello!"