A giraffe is munching on leaves, a koala is scratching itself, and a red panda is frolicking among the branches of a loquat tree, nibbling on the fruit even when it’s still unripe. In the morning, the small muntjac in the Gaoligong exhibit sips water by the riverbank, while the neighboring white-browed gibbon suddenly bursts into song. The startled muntjac lifts its head briefly in surprise but soon resumes drinking, and those meant to be asleep continue their slumber undisturbed.
These are the “specific images” Wu Chencen thought about when she was writing the poem Zai Dongwuyuan Zuomeng (Dream at the Zoo), “not just the names of giraffes, gibbons, silver pheasants, koalas, or red pandas”.
“What I also remember about the moment is the change in light, the smell of the air, and the spontaneous ‘wow’ from the tourists around me,” she says.
Wu’s poem is one of 52 in a new poetry collection published by Yilin Press, Jieshu Yizhou Gongzuo Hou, Wo Huiqu Dongwuyuan Zuomeng: Hongshan Dongwuyuan Shige Ji (After Finishing the Week’s Work, I Go to the Zoo to Dream: Hongshan Forest Zoo Poetry Collection).
Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, situated in the capital city of Jiangsu province, has been widely recognized as “a zoo full of heart”. It is known for its dedication to high animal welfare standards, active wildlife rescue, and conservation research. Embracing the principle of “equality of life” between humans and animals, it tries to foster a harmonious coexistence between people and nature.
At the launch event for the poetry collection on the evening of June 5 — World Environment Day — in the middle of the lawn beside the meerkat exhibit, Shen Zhijun, the zoo director and the book’s compiler, stood holding a microphone, and said, “It’s such a pleasure to be here on such a weekend … Here we have rescued many birds, releasing them from this lawn to let them return home,” counting them off one by one: black kites, kestrels, collared scops owls, and crested goshawks.
Shen has worked at the zoo for 18 years, striving to make it a true home for animals. He has eliminated animal performances and paid feeding, renovated the zoo to restore natural habitats, respected natural animal behaviors, and helped wildlife regain their wild nature.
“Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo is quite unique. Want to see animal performances? There are none. Are you sure to see certain animals? Not really. Want to spot a particular animal right away? Very difficult. The zoo just serves as ‘an embassy’ of the animal kingdom within the human city. All living things have spirits and live in harmony. Animals have the right to choose not to appear and hide; they don’t exist just for human observation,” Shen says.
