Retired school principal saves tiny zoo from extinction

10-minute visit

Compared with many large zoos across China, Kaili Zoo is very modest.

After entering through the gate, visitors find the predator exhibition area on the left and the monkey and herbivore enclosures on the right. A complete visit can take less than 10 minutes.

Yet its intimacy and smallness make it a children's favorite. Some young visitors said it feels different from more famous venues like Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

"You see that lion? It is darting back and forth. I have never seen a lion this lively before," said Lin Duo, a girl from Hunan province who visited the zoo with her father.

When the lion suddenly jumped, she stepped back in surprise, but her curiosity quickly overcame her surprise.

"My daughter has visited many zoos, but she feels this place is different," her father, Lin Siju, said. "There is no sense of distance between people and animals."

Whenever Feng sees children visiting from other places, he often walks over to greet them and sometimes gives them animal feed as a gift. "You came all this way, and grandpa is very happy. This is grandpa's gift for you," he told one child during China Daily's visit to the zoo.

This warmth and intimacy has become one of the reasons the zoo has become so popular. For many visitors, meeting famous "Grandpa Feng" and taking a photo with him has become the highlight of their trip.

Many are drawn by his sincere care for the animals. They come to see whether the animals are well cared for and whether the welcoming atmosphere shown online truly exists.

Yang Changwang came to work at the zoo as a helper a decade ago. "At first, I did odd jobs. Later, I started cooking for everyone," she said, affectionately calling Feng "boss".

Yang, 58, is a member of the Miao ethnic group, one of the largest ethnic communities in Guizhou. She wears her hair in a traditional high bun decorated with flowers, a style often seen during Miao festivals.

For a time, the struggling zoo could no longer afford to pay her wages. But as visitor numbers increased, Yang returned to work alongside Feng and now earns nearly 2,000 yuan ($296) a month.

Every morning, she rides an electric scooter to the zoo to clean. At noon, she prepares lunch for the seven or eight people working there. After feeding the animals in the afternoon, she picks up her three grandchildren from school.

The flexible schedule allows her to balance work and family life.

"My family's financial situation is not very good. I raised my grandchildren by myself," Yang said. "Working here means I can take care of my family while also earning an income."

At lunchtime, the zoo workers sit beside the animal enclosures, sharing simple homemade meals. "We have always eaten like this, watching the animals eat too," Feng said.