Live Cat Appraisal: Starting with a Beast That's Got a Long Prison Record

Chapter 260 Breaking the Snow Leopard's Lifespan Limit!

Hearing the moving noise, Nao Nao quietly slipped out.

It sneaked up to the glass and, after confirming several times that its new neighbor had moved away, breathed a huge sigh of relief!
Good news! Good news!

It seems I'm safe from a beating now that I'm away from this energetic junior!
The old leopard's bones were brittle!
It can't withstand the kind of tinkering that young people do, meow~
Soon, Nao Nao's mood became incredibly relaxed and cheerful, and her appetite also increased significantly.

His appetite, which had decreased due to his age and the depression following the failed "escape," quickly returned, and he even ate half a basin more meat than usual every day to celebrate his "survival."

This positive change was noted by the attentive zookeeper and quickly reported to the zoo director.

The principal was overjoyed when she found out!
It's important to know that Nao Nao is getting on in years, and his physical functions are declining. In particular, after being caught during his 'prison break,' he has become somewhat listless and his appetite has decreased significantly.

The headmistress was initially worried that if this continued, Nao Nao would ruin her health.

Unexpectedly, after Xue Aotian moved in and lived next to it for only a few days, Nao Nao miraculously regained its previous appetite!

Being able to eat is a blessing!
Being able to eat means that your body functions are still working effectively, which helps you maintain a better physical condition!
"Thanks to Xue Aotian!"

The headmaster attributed all the credit to Xue Aotian.

He immediately waved his hand and announced:
"Nao Nao should be fine now, let's take it back to the living area."

"Let's be neighbors with Xue Aotian!"

Nao Nao: ? ? ?
So when Nao Nao woke up after being anesthetized, she opened her eyes and saw her lively junior excitedly tugging at her barbed wire and greeting her. Nao Nao felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

Blanch!
Why is it you again?!

Nao Nao knew she couldn't avoid Xue Aotian, so she had no choice but to ignore him.

He lay sprawled on the ground, resigned to his fate, and continued to catch up on his sleep.

Looking out the window, the kindergarten director was just arriving with Chen Nian and a group of staff members for an inspection.

Seeing Nao Nao's lazy appearance, the headmaster was not worried at all. Instead, he pointed happily and said to everyone, "Look! With the young master next door, Nao Nao is even sleeping more! This shows that it feels at ease and relaxed!"

"Good thing!"

The other staff members nodded happily.

Nao Nao's keeper was overjoyed: "It seems we can try having the young master and Nao Nao live together in the same cage in the future!"

Nao Nao: Putting them in the same cages?!

Tired, destroy it!

hurry up!
Upon hearing the word "cage-keeping," Chen Nian looked over with curiosity.

"Director, what does 'combining cages' mean?"

Cage keeping, as the name suggests, is the practice of keeping animals that were originally kept separately together under specific circumstances.

Chen Nian understood this, but he wanted to know its specific meaning.

The purpose of putting them together
The kindergarten director told Chen Nian a story.

"Two years ago, we had a snow leopard here named Da Hu."

Chen Nian nodded silently.

Two years ago, he was busy feeding his senior classmates at university and spending his spare time cramming on feline knowledge, so he didn't pay much attention to Nishino's activities during that time and was unaware of Da Hu's existence.

"Where is Big Tiger?"

The headmaster's tone carried a hint of emotion: "He's even a bit older than Nao Nao is now!"

"Professor Chen, you should know how long a wild snow leopard lives, right?"

Without hesitation, Chen Nian replied, "Wild snow leopards typically live 8-12 years, while those in captivity live 14-15 years."

"Yes."

The headmaster showed Chen Nian a picture of "Big Tiger".

(Cowardly but fierce)
He then introduced with a smile, "This is Big Tiger."

"It was already 15 years old, nearing the end of its lifespan. Its daily activity level had decreased significantly, and it spent almost all day sunbathing in its den, eating and sleeping. Its weight kept increasing, and it even set a record for the heaviest snow leopard in China!"

"At his heaviest, Da Hu weighed 56.5 kilograms!"

“So heavy?!”

Chen Nian looked at the large, fat snow leopard in the picture, exclaimed in surprise, and then asked...

"In that case, it probably won't live much longer, right?"

Snow leopards of this age, coupled with overeating and lack of exercise, will experience a rapid decline in their physical functions, leading to rapid aging in all aspects and ultimately death!

And this process usually doesn't take too long.

Unexpectedly, the principal's voice suddenly became excited and proud. "No!"

"Big Tiger eventually lived to be 18 years old!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Nian was completely shocked.

He truly never expected that Da Hu would not only not die quickly from obesity and aging, but would defy fate and live for three more years!

18 years old, which is equivalent to over ninety years old in human years!
This completely exceeded the known lifespan limit of snow leopards at the time!
This is simply a miracle of life!

Chen Nian also became excited.

He quickly pressed on with curiosity, asking, "What's the reason? Could it be related to 'keeping them in the same cage'?"

"That's right! It's about putting them in the same cages!"

The zoo director smiled as he stroked the photo of the tiger, his eyes filled with tenderness.

It was as if he were gazing at an old friend.

“Back then, we were researching the extent to which ‘co-enclosed’ animals could affect them. So when Da Hu was 15 years old and his condition was rapidly declining, we arranged for another young snow leopard, Ling Shuang, to co-enclose with him.”

"The process went even more smoothly than we expected."

"Although the tiger was old, it was gentle and kind, and it quickly accepted the young Ling Shuang."

"Ling Shuang's existence was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, completely reviving Da Hu's stagnant life!"

The headmistress's eyes gleamed as she recalled that scene:
"Under the guidance of the lively and active Ling Shuang, Da Hu gradually resumed its daily exercise routine, began to get up and move around, play, and even occasionally engage in gentle chasing and frolicking with Ling Shuang. Its mood visibly brightened, and its eyes regained their sparkle! Its appetite also improved, and its weight gradually returned to a healthy range under scientific control."

"We can say with certainty that Ling Shuang's existence, its companionship and interaction, is the main reason why Da Hu was able to break through the lifespan limit and create miracles!"

"This is the greatest significance of our adherence to and practice of the 'enclosed cage' concept!"

The headmaster was incredibly proud at that moment.

Their efforts in helping a snow leopard nearing the end of its lifespan to break through its limits are enough to make them famous worldwide!

It was precisely because of this incident that Nishino became incredibly popular before.

Chen Nian just happened to miss it at the time.

Hearing this with his own ears, Chen Nian was greatly shocked and filled with admiration for the work of Nishino.

He exclaimed deeply, "What a miracle!"

Sincere interaction, companionship, and nourishment between lives can always bring about unexpected miracles!

"Yes!" the headmaster replied with equal pride.

It's as if I can see again the heartwarming scene of Da Hu and Ling Shuang cuddling and playing together in the sunlight.

Then, he looked at Chen Nian and smiled, "Now Teacher Chen understands why I wanted Nao Nao to be neighbors with Xue Aotian, right?"

"If Nao Nao can regain his vitality because of Xue Aotian."

"I'm confident that I can keep Nao Nao in this world for a few more years!"

"understood."

Chen Nian nodded solemnly.

I initially thought the headmaster arranged for Naonao to be Xue Aotian's neighbor because of a shortage of beds, but I never expected there to be such a deeper reason behind it.

Therefore, Chen Nian did not object.

This actually makes it easier for Xue Aotian to 'win over' his first friend!
He looked at Xue Aotian on the other side of the isolation fence, who was still working tirelessly and calling out to him in various ways, even though he was lying down and making a fuss. A gentle and expectant smile appeared on his face.

"I believe that Xue Aotian can definitely do it."

Then came a three-day observation period.

The main purpose was to observe the conflict between Nao Nao and Xue Aotian.

During these three days, Chen Nian met the meritorious snow leopard, 'Ling Shuang', who had helped Da Hu create a miracle of life.

We also saw the reasons why it was rescued and why it could not be released back into the wild.

Chen Nian couldn't help but laugh after just one glance.

"Okay!"

"So it was the snow leopard that tried to bite the lamb for over 30 hours without breaking its skin!"

(Hey, Ling Shuang! Jia Bao is making a fool of himself~)

(End of this chapter)