章 50: Chapter 616: The Escaping Rabbit
"The water-avoiding golden-eyed beast in Journey to the West must be a hippo!"
"Wow, even pigs can fly!"
"Elegance never goes out of style!"
"I've always wondered, why is it called a river horse (hippopotamus) and not a river pig? It doesn't look like a horse at all."
"Then think about seahorses, they look even less like horses."
"...I have no response to that!"
The visitors were enthusiastically discussing.
Watching these two to three-ton giants glide gracefully through the water was quite an interesting experience.
A child excitedly called to their parent, "Mommy! Mommy! Take a picture of me!"
Chasing the hippos, they signaled their parent to take a photo with the hippos in the background.
The mother smiled, "Got it, got it!"
The keeper also came to the underwater corridor, using a headset to explain to the nearby visitors, "Are hippos river horses or river pigs? Actually, they're neither! Hippos are distant relatives of whales."
Tang Xiaoxin was surprised, "Huh?"
Looking at the hippo's chubby, round body and short limbs, it seemed more believable to say it was related to pigs. It was hard to believe it was related to whales, as they seemed worlds apart.
The keeper laughed, "Isn't it surprising? Long ago, hippos and whales shared a common ancestor. Over time, some adapted to life in the sea and became whales, while others adapted to land and became hippos.
"The most direct similarity between hippos and whales is that while they can dive, they need to surface to breathe; they can't breathe underwater!
"A hippo's eyes, nose, and ears are almost all on the top of its head, nearly on the same plane. Additionally, it has a set of flexible muscles around its nostrils and ear canals, functioning like valves.
"Typically, a hippo will submerge its entire body, leaving only its ears, eyes, and nostrils above water. This allows it to breathe normally and detect danger without being noticed by predators.
"When a hippo dives, these 'valves' automatically close, sealing its nostrils and ear canals like waterproof covers, keeping them dry and free of water.
"Every three to five minutes, a hippo will surface for air, and it can hold its breath underwater for up to half an hour!
"Underwater, the sealed airways can produce 'buzzing' and 'ticking' sounds, which hippos use to communicate with each other. These sounds can travel far and convey a lot of information, such as location, territory boundaries, and nearby resources.
"This method of communication is also similar to how whales communicate."
The surrounding visitors were amazed by the explanation.
"Wow~"
"I never thought about how they breathe underwater! Such unique animals!"
"Holding their breath for half an hour, that's some lung capacity!"
"Hippos being related to whales is mind-blowing!"
The keeper added, "So even though hippos spend a lot of time in the water, they can't actually swim!
"They move by pushing off the riverbed, hopping forward. It's more like walking underwater than swimming. You can observe this."
Tang Xiaoxin turned her gaze to the water, just in time to see Pangpang preparing to surface for air!
Pangpang floated to the edge of the rock cliff, extended its limbs like anchors to stabilize itself, squatted slightly, and then gently pushed off with its front legs, followed by a strong push from its hind legs!
Its massive body floated up lightly, heading towards the surface.
At the cliff edge, it gently paddled with its front limbs, moving to the shallow area, where only its rear end was visible.
"Oh!!!"
"Impressive!"
Dudu, meanwhile, lay quietly still, submerged underwater, resting on a rock, seemingly asleep.
Tang Xiaoxin watched its leisurely posture, feeling a bit envious!
Being able to soak in cool water on a hot summer day must be so comfortable, truly enjoyable.
Pangpang surfaced for air, then walked lightly on the rock cliff.
Suddenly, it missed a step!
It appeared panicked, its head wobbling on the surface, slowly sinking, its short legs flailing wildly, its body twisting and turning!
"Wow!"
The visitors, seeing Pangpang's panicked struggle, also exclaimed in alarm!
But Pangpang adjusted its angle, its body becoming parallel to the bottom, and it quickly stabilized.
It slowly sank to the bottom, resuming its leisurely walk.
Tang Xiaoxin breathed a sigh of relief, clapped happily, "Well done!"
The hippos' behavior underwater was indeed fascinating and captivating!
The two of them watched with great interest for quite a while.
...
After a full day at the zoo, they felt satisfied with what they had seen!
Arriving at the small farm area, they found many children squatting on the grass, gently petting fluffy rabbits.
Sheared alpacas strolled leisurely in the activity area.
Brother Ao Tian, after some time, had regained his usual demeanor, staying in a corner with his unruly bangs, appearing deep in thought about the philosophy of sheep life.
Qian Keke waved cheerfully, "Brother Ao Tian!"
Brother Ao Tian glanced at them, then turned his head away disdainfully.
The rice paddies by the roadside had turned golden, the heavy heads of grain bowing down.
Tang Xiaoxin looked at the rice paddies, searching for the rice she had planted, and exclaimed joyfully, "Wow, it's grown so well! It should be ready for harvest soon!"
Qian Keke anticipated, "I wonder how it will taste. Can't wait to cook a pot of rice when it's harvested!"
Before leaving, they visited the souvenir shop!
Their eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the crane-themed stationery sets prominently displayed at the entrance.
Some of their classmates had used this stationery set, and they had been envious. No student could resist the allure of such exquisite stationery!
Moreover, both were loyal fans of the zoo, and one of their goals for today's visit was to buy a set of this stationery.
They each grabbed a set, delighted, and continued browsing the new souvenirs.
While picking out souvenirs, Tang Xiaoxin felt something at her feet.
Instinctively looking down, she saw a fluffy brown rabbit hopping away.
She widened her eyes in surprise, "Huh?"
The rabbit hopped onto a nearby shelf filled with fluffy animal plushies, pretending to be a plush toy.
But a keeper in uniform came over, glanced down, and scooped it up effortlessly.
An iron grip of fate!
The rabbit remained docile in the keeper's arms, not resisting, and was carried away.
Qian Keke laughed, "Haha, escape attempt failed!"
Tang Xiaoxin found it amusing, "There aren't even any rabbit plushies in the souvenir shop, it was bound to be discovered."
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