Fang Ye carried Ice Cake down the stairs, placed her on the ground, and started running backward in front of her. Ice Cake followed suit, striding along.
Blue eyes fixated on Fang Ye's footsteps, her long tail happily wagging behind her as her body slightly twisted.
Although she was still a bit unsteady, she walked much better than when she had first started moving around outside—no more waddling!
Fang Ye quickened his pace slightly and, while clapping his hands to encourage Ice Cake, laughed and said, "Ice Cake, run faster! Co on, co on~"
Ice Cake's expression beca serious, and her speed gradually increased. Her paws alternated left and right, then shifted to a pattern where her front paws would strike out and her hind legs would push off, bounding forward like a little rabbit, the rise and fall of her body more pronounced. The dark patterns on her snowy fur undulated, giving off quite the predator vibe.
Just by looking at how spirited and lively she was, one could understand the aning of phrases like "full of life" and "vigor of a tiger"!
After running for a short while, she stumbled over the steps and fell to the ground.
But she quickly got up again and continued to happily bounce forward, seemingly unaffected by the fall.
If it were a human baby with delicate skin, a fall might lead to a torrent of tears, but a little tiger is quite tough!
Protected by fur, a month-old tiger could take a tumble from a few dozen centiters high without worry. A few bumps and scrapes were minor issues and no cause for concern.
Tigers often give birth to several cubs at a ti, and besides suckling, these little ones spend their ti wrestling with each other, chasing each other, and pushing each other over. Running, tumbling, and play fighting are all forms of exercise that promote bone and muscle developnt for healthy growth.
After about a minute of running, Fang Ye saw that Ice Cake's steps had slowed, and she was slightly panting, apparently a bit tired.
So, he stopped and squatted down to affectionately stroke Ice Cake's head and rub her cheeks, praising her, "Aweso, aweso, aweso! Ice Cake, you're great, the most powerful little tiger!"
Ice Cake raised her head and snorted twice happily and proudly through her nose!
After a leisurely run, they left the territory of the office building, and tourists started to appear. Ice Cake imdiately hesitated, uncertain about moving forward, and stopped in her tracks.
Fang Ye smiled and said, "Ice Cake, shall we run back?"
However, a couple walking side by side had already spotted Fang Ye with little White Tiger Ice Cake, their eyes wide in astonishnt. What is this thing? A white tiger, are they seeing right?
The girl excitedly ran over, clutching her boyfriend's hand, exclaiming, "Ah! Ah!"
She was so excited she didn't even know what to say!
Although the boy couldn't hide his excitent, he first politely greeted Fang Ye, "Hello, Director, I've watched your livestream! It's so aweso that you can be so close to a tiger! This must be Ice Cake! Wow, this little white tiger is so beautiful!"
The little tiger cub was already irresistibly cute, but Ice Cake's snowy fur with its ink-painting-like black stripes, and her pale blue eyes, as pure as a mountain lake, made her look like a fantastical divine beast.
At the sight of unfamiliar tourists, she clearly showed resistance and fear. If Fang Ye weren't there beside her, she might have turned and fled.
The girl also said excitedly, "Hello, Director! Can I pet it?"
Fang Ye apologetically smiled and said, "Sorry, you can take a photo from a distance, but you can't touch!"
The restriction wasn't just for Ice Cake's safety, to lower the risk of her getting sick, but also for the safety of the tourists.
Even familiar animal keepers sotis get painfully bitten by Ice Cake while playing and roughhousing. Unfamiliar tourists trying to pet her would be in for a nasty bite.
"Oh, that's a sha," the couple looked a bit disappointed.
When squatting down to take a photo, Ice Cake had already displayed a very cautious stance!
Unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar slls, unfamiliar voices!
Daddy and Mommy always spoke in very gentle tones, but loud shouting in 'ah, ah'—what did that an? Were they threatening and intimidating him, trying to drive him away?
All of this made him feel nervous, his body lowered to the ground, and his normally perky little tail drooped and stopped wagging.
No, I can't show weakness either!
Ice Cake's eyes strained to stay widely open, appearing fierce with his pupils narrowed. His mouth gaped, and his whiskers bristled, as he let out a couple of huffing sounds from his throat, resembling a warning, "Don't co over! I'm not afraid of you; I'll bite if you dare co closer!"
The girl was startled and murmured, "Why is the baby tiger so fierce?"
The boy, on the other hand, showed a look of affection, "A feisty little tiger is also cute."
After Ice Cake had intimidated the pair, his body pressed low against the ground, he slowly crept backward until he hid behind Fang Ye's legs, concealing himself well before peeking out half of his head, eyeing the visitors warily.
How terrifying these bipeds are, frightening a tiger too much. It feels much safer behind Daddy!
He nudged Fang Ye's leg with his paw, the aning quite clear, "Daddy, unleash your Fiery Fist on them!"
Ice Cake still hadn't seen enough people around; once more visitors co to see him, he won't be afraid anymore.
Like the peafowl on the Peafowl Lawn that loves to show off, which is listless without visitors but becos lively at the sight of them.
This also has to do with the animal's instincts. So timid creatures like masked palm civets and Chinese muntjacs, when placed in exhibits, might hardly ever be seen by visitors all year round even with indoor pathways open.
The boy watched with envy. They were all bipeds, so why was the baby tiger so close to the zookeeper yet acted as if they were ghosts, showing such aversion and fear?
He asked with anticipation, "Director, when can we visit Ice Cake?"
Fang Ye answered with a smile, "Wait until he's two months old! He still needs our animal keepers' careful attention now, feeding him special food. Another week or two should do."
Besides, Ice Cake was too small, and it wasn't safe to put him in the tiger exhibit. What if he fell into the water and drowned?
Once his limbs beco strong enough to swim, he'll be fine in the water. anwhile, he must remind Jiaojiao to take good care of Ice Cake.
Bending over, he picked up Ice Cake into his arms, greeted the visitors with a nod, and slipped away.
He patted Ice Cake's head to soothe him, "Hululu, don't scare the fur~"
Ice Cake buried his head in Fang Ye's chest, completely still, and only after a while, did he poke his head out, his eyes scanning the surroundings. His nose twitched as he sniffed around, as if feeling safe, he began to wriggle restlessly, nibbling on Fang Ye's arm with a light bite, crying out, "Wah ah! Wah ah!"
Let down! I want to get down and play!
"Alright, alright, we'll play a bit longer, then we're going back, okay? Take it easy, don't run too wild," Fang Ye urged with a smile. Find your next adventure on мѵʟ
Fang Ye jogged ahead with a smile, and Ice Cake followed energetically.
An animal keeper on his way to the office building caught sight of this heartwarming scene, a smile spread across his face, and he stopped in his tracks to watch.
Showcasing such vibrant and beautiful vitality in animals—isn't that the happiest and most fulfilling mont for an animal keeper?
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