I have a wildlife zoo

A visitor couldn't help but ask, "So, is there any chance that the otters could make a comeback in the future?"

The animal keeper nodded affirmatively, "There is hope!"

"Before the 1970s, as the city developed, the pollution in Singapore's rivers grew worse, with the waters clogged by garbage and filthy to the point that the native smooth-coated otters disappeared."

"Starting from 1977, the government initiated a 'River Cleaning' initiative, and by 1998, wild smooth-coated otters reappeared and began to multiply."

"Now, in many of the rivers and wetland parks in Singapore, you can see otters. They live and hunt in the rivers, coexisting harmoniously with humans, and have become a highlight of the city's ecological landscape."

"Those who have been to Singapore probably saw the variety of signs on the streets indicating the presence of otters nearby. This environmental improvement process actually only took a few decades."

"Oh, I think I saw a video of otter families in Singapore fighting! Two otter families swam towards each other from opposite ends of the river, whining nonstop as they went, the scene was as interesting as knights charging."

"Their ecological conservation is indeed awesome, something we could learn from."

The animal keeper continued, "Another threat is that because otters are quite cute, there's now a trend in Japan to keep them as pets."

"Wild otters are very aggressive, and they spend at least five hours a day hunting. They have a lot of energy, high environmental needs, and are semi-aquatic, so they are really not suitable to be kept as pets."

"The native small-clawed otters in Japan were declared completely extinct ten years ago. The small-clawed otters kept by internet celebrities there are all from overseas. Small-clawed otters are social animals; the capturing of a single pup for a pet often means a whole otter family has been killed."

"Let me remind you all that keeping otters is illegal in China. Otters are a second-class protected species, and there's really no such thing as 'pet otters.'"

"The Japanese really haven't done well in this regard."

"There's also that owl cafe thing, that was something the Japanese came up with too."

A visitor tilted their head disdainfully and shook it.

Amamiya Kokoro heard this and, clutching her skirt, hung her head in shame!

Even though the visitors' discussions weren't meant to target her, she still felt a twinge of heartache.

After listening to the animal keeper's explanation, the visitors dispersed to enjoy the otters on their own.

Seeing that Amamiya Kokoro was feeling down, Liu Wei comforted her, "Don't worry, it's not like you were the one keeping them."

Amamiya Kokoro replied softly, "I used to like the cute small-clawed otters too, watching videos of pet otters interacting with their owners, and thought they were adorable, even liking those videos."

"Even though I didn't keep them, my likes indirectly made more people see those videos, which might lead someone to want to keep them as pets."

"From now on, I will never like such videos again, and I'll also educate my friends about it."

Seeing a donation box beside her, paired with a QR code, she quickly scanned it and donated a hundred yuan to the otter conservation effort.

Looking at the otters in the enclosure, she clasped her hands together and earnestly said, "Red Bean Paste Private Marsai!"

Liu Wei noticed a sloping downward passage ahead and said in surprise, "Hey, it looks like we can go down there. Shall we take a look?"

Amamiya Kokoro adjusted her mood and responded, "Yeah!"

Through the glass wall, the green water as seen from the bank turned into a bluish and darker hue, with fallen leaves floating on the surface.

A piece of driftwood was placed on the bottom, with twisted roots resembling hair stretching out from a person's head.

This could be said to be the most spectacular part of the otter exhibit!

An otter floated on the surface, its body submerged, with paws resting on a root.

Another otter clung to a root, its body upside down, headfirst swimming down. It deftly snuck through the gaps of the roots, occasionally releasing bubbles from its mouth.

Several roots extended outward, curving like the shape of an archway.

The otter flipped onto its back, kicked off a root with its paw, swam through the arch, and re-emerged from the bottom to the surface, its movements full of grace.

"Wow!"

Liu Wei couldn't help but exclaim.

"They seem even more flexible than penguins underwater!"

Of course, penguins are chubby by nature, whereas otters have slender figures and flexible bodies, which create a different visual effect.

Amamiya Kokoro was enchanted, "They are so playful! They really have a lot of energy."

Next to them, an educational display board introduced, "Small-clawed otters can swim up to 10 km/h and can close their nostrils and ears underwater, diving for 6 to 8 minutes at a time."

Another otter dived down.

It swam up to the glass wall, turned its head, and looked curiously outside.

Because of the brightness difference, normally visitors can't be seen, but if you get close enough, you can still make them out.

A visitor leaned in and waved, "Hey~"

It looked as if the otter was startled by the sudden appearance of the face!

The otter's feet moved quickly as if greased, and it dove to the bottom in an instant, squeezing into a bamboo basket half-buried in the mud.

The bamboo basket looked like it might have fallen into the water while a nearby farmer was picking wild vegetables, got swept away by the stream, and was buried in the mud.

It added richness to the aquatic environment, lending it an extra touch of distinctive charm.

It wasn't just a decoration; otters could also use it to play hide and seek and exhibit some interesting behaviors.

Right then, the otter's head peeked out from the opening of the basket, cautiously surveying the outside.

After a while, feeling no danger, it came out again.

The otters swam back and forth, some playing with sticks, and some playful otters even performing fancy swimming moves, spinning 360 degrees as they went.

The visitors were thrilled, faces filled with excitement, "Wow, this environment is really great!"

"This little guy is so cute!"

"I'm blown away by this underwater exhibit! I could watch all day."

...

Back at school, Amamiya Kokoro and Liu Wei waved goodbye at the school gate.

"Bye~"

"Yeah, let's play together again next time!"

"Sure."

As soon as Liu Wei returned to the dormitory, he was surrounded by roommates acting tough and interrogated non-stop.

"Spill it, kid, how did things go today!"

"How did it feel to go to the zoo with the pretty Japanese classmate, did you hold hands?"

"Don't you owe us a meal now?"

"What are you guys thinking? It was just a normal trip to the zoo."

Liu Wei said casually, but he was actually feeling quite smug inside.

They were just ordinary friends now, but after a few more trips to the zoo together, wouldn't their relationship deepen?

Upon returning to her room, Amamiya Kokoro posted her visiting experience with pictures on social media.

The adorable giant pandas, the magical zookeeper who could pet lions, and the superb zoo environment made Linhai Zoo slightly famous on Twitter too!