I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 691 - 690: Butterfly Exhibit Design

The task of matchmaking for the gibbon is accomplished, and the reward is an Association Membership Certificate from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums!

With this, I can now exchange some rare animals with overseas zoos.

Fang Ye sat at his desk, pondering the next steps for the zoo's development.

Having had a minor surge in popularity overseas before, the gift package rewarded 200 thousand green leaf coins—enough to consider building a rhinoceros exhibit and a butterfly exhibit.

However, with the National Day engagement taking up all my time, and having spent several days showing the parents around the zoo, followed by a safety drill, only now had I finally found time to slow down and think about exhibit construction.

The rhinoceros introduced will be the southern white rhinoceros, which is the most common type of rhinoceros in domestic zoos.

The white rhinoceros is not actually white; that's just a mistranslation. The original meaning was "wide-mouthed rhinoceros."

As for the northern white rhinoceros, with the death of "Sudan," the last male northern white rhinoceros, only two females remain in the world. It is fair to say that once these two pass away, the northern white rhinoceros will be completely extinct.

In fact, rhinoceroses once roamed the land of China! There are accounts of them from the Warring States period, and during the Western Han, there was a "Rhinoceros-shaped Bronze Zun with gold and silver cloud patterns," which matched the details of the Sumatran rhinoceros to a T. The depiction was incredibly realistic, clearly indicating the craftsperson had seen a real rhinoceros and might have even modeled it from its corpse.

There is no accurate count of how many Sumatran rhinoceroses are left in the world today, including both wild and captive populations. Pessimistically, there might only be a little over 30 individuals left, scattered across various habitats.

The fates of some species on Blue Planet deviated slightly from those on Earth, but most were similar.

Take, for instance, the Chinese river dolphin.

On Earth, in the 1970s, a construction crew from the Yangtze River Navigation Bureau used explosives for clearing obstructions in a section of Honghu, resulting in the immediate deaths of five Chinese river dolphins—four females and one male.

At that time, amidst a particular period, conservation and research efforts were heavily impacted, and the death of a few wild animals was hardly considered unusual.

The crested ibis, having dwindled to just seven individuals, was fortunately discovered and protected in time. Its population grew to thousands. Had it remained unnoticed, it might have silently gone extinct.

At such critical junctures, the fate of an entire species hangs in the balance.

When Fang Ye crossed over to this world, sightings of the Chinese river dolphin on Earth had long ceased, and it could essentially be declared extinct.

Of course, while Blue Planet still hosts some Chinese river dolphins, with overfishing, frequent shipping, dam constructions, and water pollution being unchanged, their fate had not improved much. It's estimated that only about twenty remain now.

But there is still hope.

I digress.

With so few Sumatran rhinoceroses left, even with a certificate, it's highly unlikely that I'd be able to bring in a couple.

So I'd better honestly proceed with introducing the southern white rhinoceros.

The design for the rhinoceros exhibit is quite simple!

There's no need for an underwater environment like for hippos, nor the complex vegetation required by felines.

At the very least, a vast space for activity is necessary.

Let's start with a stretch of lush green grass.

Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.

Rhinoceroses can adapt to a wide range of temperatures. Here in Linhai, as long as we ensure the summers aren't too hot, with shade structures in the exercise area and mud baths for cooling off, we're good to go.

Rhinoceroses have thick skin and require sturdy tree stumps, earthen cliffs, and rocks to rub against for scratching itches or getting rid of parasites, as well as marking their territories.

```

So, in the exercise yard, some fixed tree stumps of various heights were placed for rhinos to scratch their itches.

Additionally, some movable rocks and logs were arranged for the rhinos to use their horns to push and play with, which was also beneficial for the development of their horns.

These simple enrichment facilities made the rhinos very comfortable in their habitat.

However, one thing to note was that in the material selection for the rhino exhibit barriers, the wood could not be treated with preservatives, as the rhinos would gnaw on it.

The scientific education display introduced the Sumatran rhinoceros that once existed locally.

The butterfly exhibit was located next to the "Crouching Dragon in Sea of Bamboo" theme, across from the stream!

The design was somewhat similar to that of the reptiles and amphibians exhibit.

The ceiling used semi-transparent acrylic panels that allowed ultraviolet rays to penetrate.

It was not completely sealed as a greenhouse; the walls were a grid that allowed air to pass, letting the wind help spread the scent of the flowers, adding a more natural feel.

A variety of flowers and plants were grown inside, as plants are the most important aspect of the butterfly exhibit!

Fang Ye carefully selected and matched these plants.

Common sage, with its vertical stems covered in pale blue-purple flowers that looked like the myriad stars in the sky, had a rich fragrance.

Tropical milkweed, with green leaves embracing clusters of small red and yellow flowers. Wang Yan had mentioned the significance of tropical milkweed when talking about monarch butterflies; its leaves could be eaten by butterfly larvae, and the flowers were an important nectar source for butterflies, thus also referred to as butterfly weed!

Ixora, with low-lying branches and leaves and clusters of brightly colored, cross-shaped petals in red, orange, and yellow hues; the dense flowering made it a beautiful ornamental plant. Such brightly colored flowers were also very much favored by butterflies.

Spiny spiderflower, with its tender and delicate pink petals shaped like rounded fans, and protruding stamens resembling claws, had a graceful form and resembled butterflies, often attracting nearby butterflies to flutter around inebriated.

Egyptian starcluster, available in red, pink, and white colors, had dozens of five-petaled flowers clustered into bunches that created a colorful array, and were a pleasing sight. They were also favorite nectar sources for butterflies, and you could see butterflies fluttering around the Egyptian starclusters.

Varieties of flowers were chosen and arranged together, and then some tall trees and shrubs were planted alongside them.

It wasn't to provide shade for the butterflies but rather to enhance the visitor's experience and create the atmosphere of a natural environment outdoors.

If visitors could see everything in the butterfly exhibit at a glance upon entering, it would be rather dull.

Walking along the winding path, visitors could slowly enjoy the butterflies on both sides, watching them flutter gracefully among the flowers, flying from one side to the other to feed, and perhaps even landing on the shoulders and hands of visitors.

The paths were divided into dirt and wooden ones, the latter considering those in wheelchairs, as well as visitors who care about their shoes and do not wish to get dirt on them.

Butterflies had feeding stations in addition to flowers!

Several tree trunks were set up in a triangle, like a bonfire stand, with a plate on top.

The plate contained nectar and overripe fruits to provide the butterflies with additional food sources. The density of butterflies in the butterfly exhibit was much higher than in the wild, so flowers alone would not suffice as a food source.

To protect the butterflies, the feeding stations were placed out of visitors' reach, but close enough for appreciation and photography.

Then there were the smaller details of the exhibit.

Double doors prevented butterflies from escaping, and there were signs reminding visitors to watch their step to avoid accidentally stepping on a butterfly.

Some elegant classical music played in the background, making the butterfly exhibit a place for relaxation and respite.

```