Chapter 15 Design of the Tiger Exhibit
Leaving the red fox exhibit, Fang Ye had roughly figured out the situation with the [Affable] skill.
With his current mental energy, he could release it about three times a day, and each time it would last for ten minutes.
As expected of a system product, the effect was very good.
Even Xiaoqiao, who was the most haughty and disliked being touched, couldn't resist the comfortable aura he emitted after activating [Affable].
Although once the skill time ended, she was still as fierce as ever.
However, each time he used the skill, his relationship with the animals invisibly drew a little closer.
Such improvement in relationships might not seem apparent after one or two times.
After a long accumulation, even the most timid or ferocious animals could become close to him and turn into true friends.
...
At night, inside the dormitory.
After recording the animal log, Fang Ye took out another blank notebook and began to sketch on it.
That's right, it was a new plan for the zoo!
With the system's sand table copy and after inspecting the area in person today, he now had a precise understanding of Linhai Zoo.
First to determine the scope!
Thirty thousand square meters would surely be more than enough to accommodate the dozens of animals like Jiaojiao and Xiaoqiao.
Although planning for the future was necessary, Linhai Zoo was located in a remote suburban area surrounded by mountains without other buildings, making expansion quite easy.
As for whether the city would approve additional land?
A high-standard zoo was like a dazzling city business card.
Aside from enhancing the city's image, it could also boost the tourism economy.
Moreover, Fang Ye was willing to pay for the construction, so why would the city have any objections?
Next to consider was the entrance.
There was no need to change the location of the zoo's main gate.
Next to the main gate, a large open space needed to be reserved as a parking lot.
A service gate for staff entry and exit and for logistics.
Fang Ye chose a location a bit farther from the main gate to plan the office area and storage area near the service gate.
Entering from the main gate, there should be a small plaza connected to the commercial area on the side.
Parking lot, office area, small plaza, commercial area.
He first settled down these areas that were relatively easy to determine.
Animal exhibition areas, visitor routes...
Fang Ye's pen did not stop moving.
Occasionally, he would lift his head to look at the floating projection of the sand table in front of him, adjusting the angle with his mind and contemplating for a moment.
Lines extended on the notebook, quickly forming an outline.
The completed plan looked a bit like a string of looped bracelets.
Various animal exhibits and rest service areas were like pearls on a bracelet.
The main visiting path, like a thread, strung them all together.
After entering the main gate, visitors could view all the exhibits without missing any by following the main path.
Of course, they could also use the central junction hubs to choose their route and visiting targets based on their preferences.
Finally, the support area for operations.
Animal breeding center, veterinary hospital, feed processing and storage area...
These were planned as much as possible around the periphery of the exhibition areas.
Just then, the system emitted a prompt: "Ding, zoo design diagram found suitable for use! Scanning... Would you like to spend 1000 green leaf coins to optimize the design diagram?"
Fang Ye was momentarily stunned but then said joyfully, "Optimize!"
```
I didn't expect the system to have this feature.
After all, I've never actually built a zoo before, so there must be areas that I haven't considered thoroughly.
Now, by only spending a few green leaf coins, I've resolved this trouble.
The new design instantly optimized.
Combining the terrain of Linhai Zoo, the original sketch was adjusted to make the locations and sizes of each area more reasonable, and it conveniently filled in some oversights, such as the heating center, waste transfer station, and sewage treatment center, among others.
"What a huge help!"
Fang Ye exclaimed, then opened the construction mode and began designing the tiger exhibit.
This is what he's best at!
An exhibit can generally be divided into three areas: the logistics management area, the animal activity area, and the visitor viewing area.
Traditional zoos typically have a ring-shaped viewing path.
Visitors' views are 360 degrees around, much like watching a circus show on a stage.
This means the view from any angle is the same, which makes for a monotonous visual effect, and the animals can also feel a great deal of psychological pressure.
Fang Ye only made one side available for viewing, with a slight curve.
Seen from above, it's not a square but a fat watermelon-shaped ellipse.
The viewing side is then divided into three sections.
One section uses a moat as the barrier.
This kind of barrier is based on an understanding of the animal's capabilities and characteristics!
For example, tigers can jump 2-3 meters high and 5-8 meters far.
So at the interface between the visitor viewing area and the animal activity area, a moat is dug, five meters deep with an upper horizontal distance of nine meters.
The bottom is lined with stones without greenery to diminish the animals' interest in moving down the slope and into the moat; then an overhang is installed at the top, and the wall is treated so animals can't climb up using it.
In this way, without fences, it's possible to prevent the animals from escaping the exhibit and avoid harming visitors.
Finally, plant a two-meter-wide strip of waist-high shrubs along the edge to conceal the traces of the moat as much as possible.
The advantage of the moat design is that it makes the exhibit environment closer to nature, greatly enhancing the viewing experience.
It can even give the illusion of being in the same environment as the animals.
Imagine visitors coming here, looking over the shrubs to see a tiger on the grass ten meters away, also looking at them...
That scene would definitely be unforgettable!
No doubt, they would be so excited they'd want to snap a couple of photos and post them on social media: "Wow, this is the first time I've felt a tiger from such a close distance!"
Of course, while moat barriers are great for the viewing experience, they also take up a lot of space, reducing the activity space available within the exhibit for the animals.
Therefore, it can only be used in small amounts and in select places.
The second section features an exhibition hall.
The viewing side is a huge glass curtain wall.
It does not overly disturb the animals, and allows visitors to admire the animals' postures from a closer and clearer distance.
The exhibition hall is also an excellent place for conservation education and science displays, with much potential for creativity.
Set an information board in front of the glass curtain wall—lower sections for children, higher ones only reachable by adults, with more detailed content.
This can encourage adults to explain things to children, elevating the parents' image in the eyes of their children and increasing the enjoyment of the visit.
Place some self-service science pamphlets on racks.
A small screening room, showing documentaries about tigers, would allow visitors to understand their survival status.
Post some charts on the walls, introducing the tiger's close relatives, their evolution, and their role in the ecosystem.
In the center, place a tiger model—not all visitors want to touch or even ride a tiger?
You can't touch a real tiger, but through such indirect means, it's possible to fulfill the desire for contact and photos without compromising the respect that animals deserve.
Occasionally, organize small events, like a tiger painting contest or a tiger-related knowledge quiz, to allow children to participate and learn while having fun, with cute tiger plushies as prizes.
I believe that everyone leaving the exhibition hall will have a deeper understanding of tigers and will understand why it's important to respect and protect them.
```