Chapter 342: Chapter 339: Courageous Questions—What Does It Take to Raise a Panda?!

The ranch has more and more animals, and life is getting more lively.

If you count the five thousand sheep and a few hundred cattle.

There are at least six thousand animals on the ranch.

Jiang Feng came to visit the two miniature donkeys and one regular donkey.

The miniature donkeys have been together for a long time, but there has been no sign of them having babies, which makes Jiang Feng a bit anxious.

After all, miniature donkeys are particularly cute when they are young, like little puppies, but with an extra touch of adorable clumsiness.

But you can’t force these things.

[The ranch owner has so many animals!]

[I really envy such a large ranch!]

[It would be great if we could have a ranch like those abroad, where you can raise whatever you want.]

[Ranch owner, if you could raise any animal, what would it be?]

The netizens chatted with him in the live stream.

Jiang Feng saw everyone’s comments.

He mused for a moment: "What animal would I most like to raise?"

Thinking it over, Jiang Feng replied:

"If I could raise anything, the animal I would most like to raise is definitely the giant panda."

"And then tigers."

"I’ve visited giant pandas several times, whether adult pandas or panda cubs, they’re all incredibly cute."

"It would be great if I could raise them."

What started as a casual chat with the netizens actually piqued Jiang Feng’s interest, and he genuinely started considering it.

So, he turned off the microphone of the live stream and called a friend at the Forestry and Grassland Bureau.

The friend was shocked to hear his idea.

"What? You want to raise giant pandas? Not adopt, but directly raise them?"

Jiang Feng responded:

"I’m just asking if there’s any proper channel, as long as I meet the requirements."

"Aren’t there a lot of zoos with giant pandas?"

The friend at the Forestry and Grassland Bureau sighed and said:

"Alright, if you want to raise them, I’ll tell you the conditions."

"First, contact the Huaxia Forestry and Grassland Bureau to express the wish to lease pandas."

"Second, provide relevant information, including plans and designs for the panda house and panda protection center, feeding and care plan for the pandas, and the financial and manpower resources, etc."

"Third, sign the ’Panda Lease Agreement’ and comply with the relevant protection regulations and agreements."

"Fourth, establish a special panda protection center or zoo, provide excellent breeding management and living environment to ensure the pandas are well cared for and managed."

"Fifth, commit to the health and life of the pandas."

"Sixth, pay the lease fee."

"You have to know, the cost of leasing pandas abroad is astronomical, enough to maintain an aircraft carrier."

"Domestic lease fees are cheaper, but there are dozens of relevant documents. I’ve seen the application materials for zoos leasing giant pandas, it’s very complex."

"You’re a private ranch, you can’t lease them unless you have a zoo."

Hearing his friend’s explanation over the phone, Jiang Feng nodded repeatedly.

Actually, the paperwork is not the issue.

The panda house is not a problem either, spending a few million to renovate a large facility is still quite simple for Jiang Feng.

The issue is the qualifications.

A zoo or panda protection center is required.

But pandas certainly won’t be protected on the grasslands, so he had to abandon that idea.

"What about raising tigers? Are the approval procedures complex for tigers?"

"For instance, if I buy a tiger from a zoo."

Jiang Feng asked again.

The friend at the Forestry and Grassland Bureau responded:

"You need qualifications, but I can give you a suggestion, you don’t need to open a zoo, just set up a wildlife protection center."

"A zoo is too commercial, but if you set up a wildlife protection center, the Forestry and Grassland Bureau would be happy to approve."

"In the future, injured wild animals can be sent to you, saving the Forestry and Grassland Bureau a lot of trouble."

"It would be easy for you to get the materials to raise wild animals approved."

"Of course, pandas won’t be possible."

Having friends in the system surely makes things easier.

You can directly ask them if you have any thoughts.

The other party will give an answer.

If you don’t have these connections, doing anything by oneself would involve going to several departments and you might not even succeed despite all the effort.

Jiang Feng’s eyes lit up.

He had previously rescued many wild animals.

Such as the Golden Eagle, White Wolf, lynx, Tibetan Fox, roe deer, and so on.

Some ranches abroad do indeed take on the responsibility of rescuing wild animals.

However, there isn’t a systematic rescue channel for ranches on the grasslands here.

"A wildlife protection center, no problem at all."

"I have plenty of space here."

"I was just wondering how to make use of such a large empty land."

Jiang Feng replied.

"Alright, I’ll think it over, come to my ranch in a few days for some roast whole lamb."

Jiang Feng made an appointment with the other party and then hung up the phone.

Jiang Feng’s current ranch covers over sixty-six thousand acres.

Of which, the grazing area is just under fifty thousand acres.

Further out, it gets closer to the Maodeng Management District and also closer to the city.

There are more people and buildings there, so Jiang Feng established a sightseeing ranch.

But his grassland is just too big.

It’s too far to herd sheep; you can’t walk three hours every day to herd them and then walk three hours back.

So Jiang Feng planted corn in the wasteland in the middle.

He planned it himself, with 50,000 acres of grassland for raising cattle and sheep, which is just right.

It can be completely enclosed to make a closed ranch.

Cattle, sheep, horses, and camels all live inside.

The ranch employees as well.

Near the management district, it’s designed as a tourist ranch, producing some farm handmade products and providing some scenic views for photography.

Like haystacks, tents, Sika Deer, and similar items.

But there’s still a large area of open land.

Jiang Feng began planning.

Beside the tourist ranch, there’s room to build a big yard.

The yard will serve as the base for a wildlife conservation center, also enclosed.

In reality, a yard isn’t necessary, just building a few medical rooms and lounges will suffice.

Jiang Feng has learned you only need to apply to the wildlife conservation center and gain qualification to receive some medical equipment.

Once everything was planned, Jiang Feng began submitting applications to the Forestry and Grassland Bureau while contacting the wildlife conservation center.

Upon submitting the application, his wildlife conservation base began preparations in earnest.

While handling major affairs, Jiang Feng also leisurely streamed.

The next day, Jiang Feng once again arrived at his lakeside.

The two Tibetan Foxes were no longer here.

Jiang Feng had seen them in the no-man’s land.

They had gone to live on the plateau.

Someone also asked Jiang Feng:

[Ranch owner, where are King Zhou and Daji? Haven’t seen them in a while!]

[Yeah, they’re so amusing, let them show up again.]

Seeing these comments, Jiang Feng responded:

"Both Tibetan Foxes have returned to the no-man’s land, to the gorge where they were discovered."

"That area is full of rugged rocks; there are many crevices with wild grasses, so there are plenty of pikas."

"For Tibetan Foxes, that area is more suitable."

"I’ll go visit in a few days; perhaps they’ve started a family or even given birth to Little Tibetan Foxes."

A few months ago, both Tibetan Foxes had reached adulthood.

After reaching adulthood, their looks became somewhat weathered but still very appealing.

Then, they left this place.

Wild animals have their living habits; some have wildness that’s hard to tame and prefer deserted wilderness.

Some, like Black Bears and White Wolves, prefer living with humans.

Jiang Feng always lets them live the life they prefer according to their own wishes.

On the lake, the swan family still thrived.

Wild swans are also protected animals, with a very high protection level.

Jiang Feng came today to see the swans.

Because swans begin breeding in May to June.

It’s July now; the cygnets have already been born.

From afar, many families swim together; two adult swans accompany several cygnets.

"The cygnets are born; see that one over there, not long after being born; it’s still completely gray."

"The Ugly Duckling story comes from this."

"Swans are Ugly Ducklings when they’re born; later, when they grow up and their white feathers come in, they become swans."

Jiang Feng told the online viewers.

Everyone looked toward the lake.

White swans frolic here playfully.

Many cygnets made the lake surface increasingly lively.

A drone filmed a swan family.

An adult swan swam ahead, followed by five white cygnets, with another adult swan watching from behind.

They lived freely, thriving on Jiang Feng’s grassland.

[The Ugly Duckling story tells us the Ugly Duckling can become a swan because it was inherently a swan. If you’re born an ugly duckling, you’ll always be an ugly duckling.]

[Young swans really do resemble gray ducklings!]

[The ranch owner even has a Swan Lake!]

[He has so many animals; I wouldn’t be surprised if he raises a tiger someday.]

Jiang Feng took out his Leica camera to photograph Swan Lake.

The scenery was beautiful, so he wanted to capture it for memories.

His streaming content is just that: capturing adorable animals and chatting with the viewers.

The cygnets roamed in groups.

A swan family was not far from the shore.

Perhaps Jiang Feng’s bird affinity played a role.

This swan family’s four cygnets suddenly ran over to Jiang Feng’s side.

The cygnets ran like ducks, waddling adorably clumsy.

Viewers saw the cygnets running toward Jiang Feng and exclaimed in surprise.

[The swans are coming over!]

[They’re running toward a person on their own!]

[Oh my, this is so cute!]

The two adult swans followed not too fast nor too slow, with only their children in their eyes.

The scene remained as warm as ever.