Look carefully, there is a big truck parked in this zoo!

In our zoo, every time autumn comes, we have a super heavy task - unloading grass and storing it in warehouses to stock up "dry food" for our furry friends!

Three trucks of hay weighed nearly 110 tons. The owners turned into "porters" and worked together to move more than 100 tons of sheep grass and locust leaves into the warehouse, storing a whole year's food for the herbivores.

Why stockpile hay?

There are many herbivorous animals living in our zoo, such as Asian elephants, hippos, giraffes, etc.

A bale of hay weighs about 35kg

They consume a lot of hay every year. For example, our Asian elephants, Lumai and Mai Ge, need to be fed nearly four bundles of sheep grass every day. A bundle of sheep grass is about 35kg, which means that Lumai and Mai Ge alone need hundreds of kilograms of hay a day; and each hippopotamus also needs to eat 15-20kg of hay every day.

Therefore, every autumn we will introduce a large amount of herbivorous feed such as sheep grass and locust leaves for the animals to eat.

Forage grass like sheep grass is of the best quality when introduced in this season. Its dryness is more suitable for long-term storage and is not easy to mold.

Normally, our herbivores have sufficient supply of fresh grass and leaves, and use hay as supplementary feed. But with the coming of cold fronts, the supply of grass begins to decrease, and we need to store enough hay to help herbivores survive the winter.

Herbivores have very different diets -------------

As herbivores, they have different diets based on their digestive tract structure, feeding habits in the wild, and the nutritional content of grass. Therefore, we also reserve different types of hay according to the tastes and nutritional needs of different types of animals.

For example, the sheepgrass we reserve is mainly used to supply large animals that prefer to eat grass, such as Asian elephants, zebras, hippos, etc.

With its rich crude fiber and moderate protein content, sheep grass is an ideal food for these animals. These animals mainly feed on grass in the wild, so in the zoo, we provide sheep grass to simulate their natural eating habits and help them stay healthy.

Sophora japonica leaves are the best choice for animals that prefer to eat leaves. Giraffes, muntjacs, muntjacs and other animals have a natural preference for leaves. Sophora japonica leaves are not only rich in nutrients, but also low in fiber and easy to digest, which is more in line with their digestive tract structure.

In addition to hay, we also planted ryegrass, eucalyptus, soybean seedlings, corn, melons, pears, peaches, privets, mulberry leaves and other trees at the feed base to ensure fresh and sufficient feed for our animals.

The shit shoveler becomes a porter~ -------------

Nearly 110 tons of hay were transported from the truck to the warehouse. It took our breeders three full days, from day to night, to neatly store all the hay in the hay warehouse.

When I saw the haystacks gradually piled up in the warehouse, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

This powerful scene can perhaps only be deeply appreciated by experiencing it personally.

During these sweaty days, our mutual understanding is constantly improving. The power of teamwork is perfectly demonstrated at this moment. Although we are physically exhausted, our hearts are full of strength. Because we know that all these efforts are worth it.

Let us look forward to this season full of love! In this autumn, we not only welcome the joy of harvest, but also the warmth and touch from the bottom of our hearts.