Yang Lin was not surprised by the female reporter's question, so he pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Speaking of the earliest batch of animals at Xihong Zoo, they should all be considered my elders. Some of them even watched me grow up."
"Take the chimpanzee at the entrance, for example. Don't let its seemingly erratic behavior fool you. When my grandfather rescued it from a circus, it was almost dead."
Upon hearing this, everyone became curious. They never expected that the seemingly peculiar chimpanzee had such a past in a circus.
"It was about thirty years ago. My grandfather spent 300 yuan to buy Wei Da Ye from a small circus."
"It was covered in wounds at the time, yet it would still occasionally perform the action of riding a bicycle. To ease its pain, my grandfather gave it a cigarette."
At this point, everyone finally understood how the chimpanzee, which was always acting a bit strange, had developed a smoking habit.
"Damn, I didn't expect it to be like this. I was always wondering how it learned to smoke."
"Many animals develop lifelong stereotypes after being enslaved and trained by humans. It's remarkable that this chimpanzee has recovered to its current state."
"If I were confined, trained, and abused daily, I'd probably go crazier than it."
"Honestly, it's already a miracle that this chimpanzee is still willing to interact with humans."
"So Wei Da Ye had such a tough time. I'll definitely bring it a good pack of cigarettes next time I visit the zoo."
"It was here thirty years ago, which means it's now in its eighties. At its age, a little smoking is understandable."
After talking about the chimpanzee, Yang Lin continued to share stories about other animals. Without exception, each animal had a history filled with hardship and suffering.
Some were enslaved by circuses, others abandoned by humans, or trafficked by poachers. Some were about to be served on dinner tables, some were about to be skinned, and some faced live organ harvesting. Even the "Paw Patrol" dogs were rescued by Yang's father from a truck destined for a dog meat restaurant.
As Yang Lin spoke, the female reporter, Zhang Meng, found her eyes welling up. Yang Lin's narration alone was moving, and it was hard to imagine the animals' feelings when they endured such ordeals. The viewers in the livestream chat fell into silence.
"Damn it, I'm such a jerk. When I visited Xihong Zoo before, I complained about the small number of animals and their unappealing appearance."
"I never imagined that these animals were all rescued by Grandpa Yang and Dad Yang."
"I always wondered why the animals in this zoo looked a bit off. They were all unfortunate creatures."
"It's incredibly difficult to support so many animals for decades with the efforts of three generations of their family."
"So, all their family's income is invested in this zoo?"
"I knew this zoo was special from the moment I saw that pig."
"Other zoos receive government subsidies, but Xihong Zoo doesn't. In an era when people struggled to feed themselves, they managed to care for so many animals."
"Speaking as a local from Ningnan, I remember this zoo existing when I was a child. It was Ningnan's earliest zoo. The animals back then all had injuries, and the Yang family seemed to live within the zoo."
"Grandpa Yang is truly a great saint!"
"I used to think the 50 yuan ticket price was a bit steep, but now I realize it's not expensive at all."
"Considering how these animals looked back then and how they look now, one wouldn't be able to nurture animals like this without true love for them."
As if to prove his words, Yang Lin retrieved an old photo album from his office. Flipping through it, pictures of animals appeared one after another, some black and white, others in color. The earliest dated back forty years. These photos depicted tourists posing with the animals. Further on, the number of photos decreased, but the animals' conditions visibly improved. Looking at the album, which documented the history of Xihong Zoo, many viewers were moved to tears. It was no exaggeration to say that Xihong Zoo was the last haven for these animals in the concrete jungle. It was Xihong Zoo that prevented these animals, ravaged by humans, from losing their last shred of trust in humanity.
"Even as a grown man, I'm in tears. While I'm not a staunch animal rights advocate, if I have children in the future, I will definitely teach them to protect and cherish animals."
"For so many years, Grandpa Yang's family never spoke of this, yet they passed down this zoo, which was never profitable, from generation to generation."
"Don't those who claim Xihong Zoo makes money from animal performances feel guilty?"
"I believe the animals in Xihong Zoo are in their most natural state now."
"Those who ask why the animals aren't released should think a little. These domesticated animals would face certain death if released into the wild, and they wouldn't be accepted by their own kind."
"Exactly. This place is like home to them now."
"I was planning to visit Xihong Zoo during the winter break, but now I've decided to buy tickets and leave immediately."
"Why doesn't the director open a donation channel? Let us contribute to these animals. You shouldn't have to bear this burden alone."
"I genuinely don't begrudge them making money now. If they don't earn, what will happen to these animals?"
"I suggest the director could set up 24-hour live streams within the park. That could generate some income from live stream rewards."
"Yes, yes, every zoo should have a live stream room, broadcasting the daily lives of the animals. I'd love to watch."
"I'll make sure to spend generously when I visit Xihong Zoo. It's a shame there are so few points of sale within the park."
At this moment, after learning the truth, netizens expressed not only their emotions but also their strong support for Xihong Zoo. Soon, the events that unfolded in the Ningnan live stream were spontaneously shared across various video platforms by netizens. As a result, more and more people learned about Xihong Zoo's past and history, and the story of the Yang family's silent dedication to these animals over three generations. The internet was abuzz, and Xihong Zoo was henceforth branded as the most conscientious zoo in history.