Chapter 562: Chapter 254: Natural Miracle, Undercurrents Surging

Yang Qi spoke in a professional and precise tone. "This South China Tiger is estimated to be around sixteen years old, which means he’s entered his senior years. He has multiple old injuries, is malnourished, and has a minor infection in his left hind leg."

"He’s able to understand some of my intentions and is relatively docile. I’ve spoken with him, and he’s very satisfied with the zoo’s environment. He wants to stay here and live out his golden years."

"After all, for an old tiger, surviving in the wild has become increasingly difficult."

"Sixteen? That’s definitely an old tiger," one of the leaders nodded.

"He’s willing to retire at Xianlai? That’s fantastic!"

"Exactly. When they get old, hunting becomes difficult. They also have to face competitors and other dangers. It’s much better to live out his final years peacefully in a zoo."

"The most crucial part is that Director Yang can communicate with him and understand his wishes!"

"..."

The city and county leaders were even more thrilled to hear this.

An old tiger, willing to stay... It was the perfect justification, one that couldn’t possibly be better!

It demonstrated the zoo’s humane care and its role as a rescue facility, while also sidestepping the ethical controversy that capturing a young, healthy wild tiger might provoke.

Of course, Wei Zongting had already heard all this from Yang Qi, but he still listened attentively, nodding occasionally. At appropriate moments, he would chime in as the leader from the provincial bureau, adding some policy-level guidance and requirements.

For instance, he brought up the subsequent quarantine period, the timing and methods for public exhibition, and the launch of collaborative scientific research.

Yang Qi stood by, nodding continuously, indicating that he had taken note and would strictly implement everything.

...

「That afternoon.」

Witnessed by Wei Zongting and other relevant officials, and with the assistance of provincial and municipal experts, Yang Qi once again got hands-on, performing a more detailed physical examination on Lian Po.

Portable diagnostic equipment was brought to the edge of the Tiger Mountain enclosure. Working through the gate of sturdy bars, Yang Qi used a combination of food lures, soothing communication, and Lian Po’s remarkable cooperation to successfully complete a series of checks: temperature, heart rate, respiration, ectoparasite sampling, and wound inspection and photography.

Throughout the process, although Lian Po showed occasional impatience, he never resisted violently. This once again left the observing experts marveling in amazement.

Not long after the examination, a detailed preliminary physical report on the wild South China Tiger was compiled.

The report, written in black and white and supported by clear photographs and data, confirmed that the South China Tiger, named "Lian Po," was an elderly male.

His age was estimated at 15-17 years. He showed distinct characteristics of a wild animal, had numerous old scars on his body, and was suffering from malnutrition and a localized infection. The preliminary assessment found no signs of highly contagious diseases, and a DNA sample had been sent for analysis.

The report concluded with a special note: "The individual is behaving with relative calm inside the zoo, shows a high degree of tolerance toward his primary contact person (Yang Qi), and is beginning to adapt to the enclosure environment."

This report, along with the vial of tiger blood sent for crucial DNA analysis that morning, would become the most important piece of evidence in determining Lian Po’s fate—and the future of the Xianlai Zoo.

...

...

News of a wild South China Tiger appearing in the Xianlai Zoo spread like wildfire.

Although no official announcement had been made, with so many important figures and departments gathered at Xianlai, completely suppressing the news was impossible.

Rumors from various channels, blurry photos, and excited tidbits leaked by staff members spread everywhere as if they had grown wings.

Naturally, the first to get relatively reliable information were Yang Qi’s close colleagues and other well-connected peers in the industry.

Starting that afternoon, Yang Qi’s phone was ringing off the hook.

Tong Xiaoyue, the vice-director of the Provincial Capital Red Star Zoo; Lu Gangsheng, the vice-director of the Yongcheng Zoo; Yu Xiulian, the vice-director of the Nanling Zoo...

...and numerous other colleagues Yang Qi had met and added on WeChat at the East China Zoo annual conference in Liangcheng, Jiangbei Province, before the end of the year.

Directors, vice-directors, key technical staff from other zoos, and professors and experts from universities and research institutions began calling or sending WeChat messages one after another to confirm the news.

His phone’s notification chime almost never ceased.

"Director Yang, I heard you have a wild South China Tiger there. Is it true?"

"Advisor Yang, this is Engineer Wang from the Jiangbei Provincial Forestry Science Institute. I heard you’ve made a major discovery at Xianlai?"

"Director Yang, can you tell us where the tiger came from? Was it a rescue, or...?"

"Xiao Yang, you really caused a huge stir out of nowhere! Quick, tell me what happened."

"..."

Facing these inquiries—some curious, some concerned, others probing—Yang Qi remained patient and stuck to a consistent story.

He selectively shared the details that could be made public: the tiger was an elderly male whose condition was stable but required recuperation; he had entered the zoo grounds voluntarily, was currently housed on Tiger Mountain, and was undergoing examination and assessment.

As for the tiger’s origins, he firmly repeated the officially verified account.

"According to surveillance footage from inside and outside the zoo’s north gate, as well as the on-site track analysis by experts from the forestry department and the police, the tiger’s trail indicates he likely came from upriver, crossing the river to the north."

"He was likely heading for Cangshan, but while resting and observing from the hillside, he was drawn by the unique microclimate and vegetation in our Xianlai Zoo. He changed his mind, came down the slope, leaped over our closed northern electronic gate, and entered the zoo’s Wetland Birdwatching Area."

"Multiple surveillance cameras captured footage of the tiger and a clear trail of his tracks throughout this process. We only discovered him and alerted the authorities during the security guards’ morning patrol."

Logically, the story held together.

The river’s upper reaches connected to the vast mountainous region of Laishan County, providing a geographically plausible "origin" for the tiger.

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