Rain Palace Xin couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the Pallas's cat's constantly wagging fat tail: "Hahaha, that tail is so cute!"
It tried to hide but didn't completely succeed!
After all, it grew up in a zoo, so its hiding skills weren't very refined.
However, its light gray fur naturally added +3 to its camouflage level.
Pallas's cats have fur that can be silver-gray, dark gray, or brownish-gray, and it changes with the seasons and environment.
In summer, the fur is darker, helping them blend in with meadows and rocks. In winter, the fur becomes longer and thicker, with lighter colors for better camouflage in the snow, and the black markings add shadow effects.
Anzi's eyes sparkled: "Its walking style is so cute too! It walks close to the ground!"
In this aspect, Pallas's cats are somewhat similar to roe deer!
They walk a few steps, then stop to carefully observe their surroundings, staying still to avoid detection.
The Pallas's cat, hiding behind a rock, suddenly peeked its head out, its vigilant gaze scanning the outside.
Its round, orange-yellow eyes stared intently, looking serious and focused!
Its every move was like a performance.
"Hahaha, look at those intelligent eyes!"
"What are you looking at? Looking at you!"
"Pallas's cats are really both fierce and adorable!"
"They're like the Oberon of cats!"
The two Pallas's cats had been at the Linhai Zoo for quite some time and had grown accustomed to their new environment.
They became much bolder, spending more time exploring outside each day, unlike before when they would return to their quarters after a short while.
Recently, the exhibit had been filled with snow, and the fresh environment made them curious and active, exploring the snow-covered activity area.
After observing the visitors outside for a while and sensing no threat, the Pallas's cat turned its head left and right, its thick fur swaying with its movements.
It took a couple of quick steps and emerged from behind the rock, twisting its plump body, and quickly ran to a bush at the back of the area.
It turned its head again, then lay down in the snow, resembling a large gray pancake, motionless and pretending to be a rock.
With its round head, large face, and chubby body, it looked so silly that it made people want to laugh.
Another Pallas's cat, Yuanxiao, was perched on a high rock, its paws tucked under its body, curled up into a ball, taking a nap.
It seemed to have rested enough and was ready to move around.
It tilted its head, looked outside, blinked a couple of times, and licked its tongue to shake off sleepiness.
Then it slowly got up, its plump rear end facing the visitors, stretching its front legs fully, pressing its body down, and even its chest against the rock, giving a big stretch and yawning.
After stretching, its round tail tip twitched rapidly as if shaking off the drowsiness.
Finished with stretching, Yuanxiao jumped down from the rock and walked slowly on the snow, observing the visitors outside.
When there were fewer people, it would sometimes press its big face against the glass, carefully peering out.
At this moment, the zookeeper entered the activity area, and the two Pallas's cats, hearing the noise, immediately hid cautiously.
The zookeeper carried several small paper boxes and began hiding them in the activity area.
The boxes contained fresh meat, similar to the feeding method for the red foxes.
Some were buried in snow pits, some hidden in bushes, or in the crevices of rocks.
The zookeeper also smeared blood around various places to create misleading scents.
This made the cats work harder for their food, using their sense of smell to practice their hunting skills!
The two Pallas's cats, hiding in different corners, peeked out sneakily.
Recognizing the familiar zookeeper, Yuanxiao ran over, trying to take a shortcut and get food directly from the zookeeper!
The zookeeper was prepared, throwing a small piece of fresh meat far away as bait.
The two Pallas's cats immediately sprang into action!
Yuanxiao, driven by food, leapt up, jumping over a tree trunk perch in the middle of the activity area.
In mid-air, its body twisted, resembling a large pancake.
The other Pallas's cat, Dasheng, rushed from the other side, leaping from a rock and intercepting in mid-air, swiping at Yuanxiao's butt with its paw.
But Yuanxiao twisted and dodged nimbly.
It was the first to reach the meat, skidding to a stop on the snow, its dense fur rippling, turning into a round meatball.
Showing its sharp fangs, it grabbed the meat and quickly ran off to enjoy it in a corner.
The whole process, though complex to describe, took only a few seconds.
The visitors were amazed and only reacted when they saw Yuanxiao eating cautiously in the corner.
"Wow!"
"What an agile fatty!"
"So amazing! I didn't even react!"
Although Pallas's cats appear bulky, they run extremely fast, like gray lightning, completely overturning everyone's impression.
The way they grabbed the meat was precise and fierce.
If it were a pika, it would probably be killed instantly.
Dasheng, having failed to snatch the meat, ran to the zookeeper, looking up with a serious expression.
I'm just quietly watching you!
It seemed to say, "Is it my turn now?"
The zookeeper threw another piece of meat in a different direction to avoid them fighting!
As the two Pallas's cats were distracted, the zookeeper sped up the hiding process.
Rain Palace Xin looked at a nearby display board, which described the hunting methods of Pallas's cats.
"Pallas's cats have three hunting methods!
First, the stealth approach. When hunting, Pallas's cats crouch down, crawl forward, slowly approaching their prey, stopping every few steps to blend in as a rock! When close enough, they pounce swiftly to catch and kill.
Second, the startling approach. In spring and summer, when vegetation is lush, Pallas's cats dart through the grass, startling hidden pikas, birds, grasshoppers, and other small animals, seizing the opportunity to hunt.
Third, the ambush approach. This method is used in winter to catch pikas. Pallas's cats ambush outside pika burrows, patiently waiting in the snow. When the pika emerges, they get a chance for a meal."
Rain Palace Xin thought, "No wonder their walking style is so amusing; it's part of their hunting technique. Poor pikas! Always the unlucky ones."
As soon as the zookeeper left, the two Pallas's cats excitedly ran around the activity area, searching everywhere!
Time to eat, time to eat!
Yuanxiao quickly found a box with meat under the snow.
But Dasheng, relying on its strength, rushed over and drove Yuanxiao away, fiercely chasing after its butt.
Yuanxiao was furious but had no choice.
It reluctantly glared back and continued searching for other food.
Dasheng, now eating the meat, was much more at ease, eating right there without moving to another spot.