Capítulo 18: Chapter 584: Giving the Elephants a Pedicure
Yan Ganghui watched in amazement, "Wow, such a big watermelon, and the elephant just picks it up with its trunk so easily!"
Su Hui was impressed by the elephant's intelligence, "Wow, amazing, it even knows to step on it before eating!"
Bobo stepped on the watermelon with just the right amount of force!
The watermelon split open but didn't turn into a mushy mess, which would have made it messy to eat.
He curled the juicy, sweet red flesh of the halved watermelon with his trunk, first brought it to his mouth, chewed a couple of times, then shoved it entirely into his mouth, munching leisurely.
The wrinkled, old-looking face, with eyes squinting, appeared to enjoy it immensely.
After eating, he even put his trunk in his mouth to suck the juice, like a person licking their fingers after eating chips.
Eating a watermelon in summer, cooling and quenching thirst, was quite a pleasure.
"Hardcore melon eating!"
"Eating a big watermelon is like me eating a date!"
"Wow, does it eat the watermelon rind too?"
"Of course! What can't an elephant eat?"
"True to being an elephant!"
The visitors lively discussed among themselves.
Someone jokingly asked, "Director, is that watermelon ripe?"
Fang Ye chuckled, "I run a zoo; you think I'd feed the elephants raw watermelon?"
After feeding Bobo the watermelon, Fang Ye took out another one for Pingping, while Meiling had already blissfully started on a watermelon, and Mei Lan also got one, now both onto their second one, not shy at all.
Watching Meiling eat one watermelon after another, Fang Ye said, exasperated, "You're eyeing the pot while eating from the bowl! Each elephant gets two melons, and you've had your share!"
He patted Meiling's trunk and moved the bag away.
Meiling hesitated, considering whether to forcefully take it. She used to be quite temperamental in the elephant camp, not fond of humans.
Now, after coming to the zoo, with a spacious activity area allowing free movement and no one poking her with sharp elephant hooks, saying this and that isn't allowed, with sand pits, mud baths, and various enrichment projects to relieve boredom and always being with her best friend Mei Lan.
And with the daily feed including a spiritual recovery pill, her resentment gradually faded, and she became less irritable.
Every time Fang Ye visited, he brought treats. She didn't feel like hurting him.
So she opened her mouth and called out to Mei Lan with a rumbling low voice, stomping her foot to signal to eat up and then move together.
Mei Lan looked at Meiling, extended her trunk to Fang Ye for a shake, and then the two elephants slowly moved away.
Meiling went to a dirty, hollow metal ball, playing with it nimbly with her trunk, pushing it for a bit.
This had become her favorite toy!
Originally, a tire was in the activity area for the elephants to play with, which Meiling sat on and instantly burst.
Recently, a durable metal ball was custom-made for them to play with.
After a gentle kick, the ball rolled vigorously on the sandy ground towards Meiling, who kicked it back.
Like playing football, mainly with Meiling kicking, dirt flying everywhere, having a great time.
"Elephants can play soccer too!"
"So adorable!"
Pingping watched Meiling play with the ball, seemingly wanting to join, and looked at Fang Ye.
Fang Ye said, smiling, "Pingping, you'll play later. It's time for your pedicure!"
To the visitors, he added, "Has anyone ever seen an elephant get a pedicure?"
Visitors showed curiosity, shaking their heads in response.
"Elephants need a pedicure? That's really something new, never heard of it!"
"Why does an elephant need a pedicure?"
Fang Ye explained, "As everyone knows, elephants are the largest land mammals! An adult Asian elephant weighs between 3-4 tons.
Such a massive creature bears all its weight on its limbs and feet, making foot health extremely vital for them. Even a slight mishap could lead to disaster.
At first glance, an elephant's foot may seem unremarkable, just a big flat foot. However, its foot structure is quite intricate, with a sponge-like tissue inside that absorbs the tremendous pressure from the body when walking or standing.
Dense nerve networks help elephants sense the ground accurately and coordinate limb movements.
Just as our nails grow, elephants' toenails also grow, and their soles gradually develop dead skin.
Without regular care, thick dead skin reduces nerve sensitivity, hindering their ability to sense pressure and coordinate movements when walking. Overgrown toenails make it awkward for elephants to walk, as if on tiptoe.
This uneven joint stress over time can lead to deformities and pain, causing them suffering.
And that's why we give elephants pedicures!"
A visitor asked, "Then why don't wild elephants need pedicures?"
Fang Ye laughed, "Simple. Wild elephants roam in search of food and water daily, balancing the growth and wear of their soles and toenails.
But captive elephants walk much less. The sandy substrate in our activity area, along with various enrichment activities, is designed to increase their natural wear and tear opportunities.
We evolved from monkeys that lived in trees, facing natural nail wear daily. Now, without natural wear, we need to trim our nails frequently."
His example was easy to understand, and everyone got the gist of it.
Some visitors looked thoughtfully at their nails, realizing for the first time why nails keep growing!
Fang Ye said, "I'll take Pingping for a pedicure now. If you're interested, you can follow us to the care center to watch. It's over there."
He patted Pingping's nose and beckoned, "Pingping, come!"
Leading the way, Pingping obediently followed behind.
Su Hui, interested, encouraged, "Let's go, we can't miss this!"
...
Arriving at the care center with Pingping, the zoo's speaker also announced, "Dear visitors, the Director is about to give the elephant a pedicure. Curious about how to give an elephant a pedicure or what an elephant's foot looks like?
If you're curious, come to the Elephant Care Center to watch…"
It took a bit longer for visitors to arrive, taking a detour.
The care center's outer side had clear railings, allowing visitors a clear view under a shaded canopy, quite impressive.
Once visitors gathered, Fang Ye clapped his hands, signaling keeper Xiao Kong to start, "Alright, let's begin!"
Between the vertical sturdy bars with some diagonal bars to prevent the elephants from extending their trunks, a rectangular opening about 50cm high was left clear.
Xiao Kong, holding a long target stick, pointed at Pingping's left foot and then at the barrier!
Seeing the signal, Pingping first extended her trunk in a small mishap, then wisely retracted it and placed her left foot up.
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