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

Chapter 97 The Chosen Cat

On the hillside.

At this moment, every single eye behind the telescope was wide open!

Even the usually composed Gu Ying subconsciously held her breath at this moment. As her heart raced, her fingers pressed the shutter button even more steadily, capturing this incredibly precious moment.

What I saw before me far exceeded my expectations!
Chen Nian felt her heart being gripped by an immense sense of happiness.

The three warm, golden clusters of life nestled together in the sunlight created a picture that was both wild and incredibly heartwarming, captivating him completely!

I thought finding a leopard cat was already a huge surprise, but I never expected there were experts among them!

"Wait a minute," Lin Sen asked, as if he had thought of something.

"Teacher Chen, you previously estimated that this leopard cat was about nine months old. Is it possible for a leopard cat to have cubs at nine months old? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

"Could this be another leopard cat?" another expert in the crowd speculated.

Chen Nian slowly shook her head.

"This should be the same leopard cat from before."

“The Asian leopard cat’s territory is very large, ranging from 3 to 29 square kilometers, and we have not left that range.”

"As for the possibility of a leopard cat giving birth at nine months old, that is also possible."

"The estrus cycle of leopard cats usually begins between 6 and 8 months, and they are already capable of giving birth at 9 months old."

He pursed his lips as he spoke: "However! At this age, the leopard cat's organs are not yet fully developed, and there are health risks involved in reproduction!"

"Then why does it still want to give birth?" Xia Qiyue's voice was full of confusion and heartache.

Chen Nian put down the binoculars, but her gaze seemed to pierce through the vast distance, sensing the resilience and helplessness of life: "Because this is nature!"

"Survival and reproduction are the first instinctive commands engraved in our genes."

"For example, in order for their offspring to have enough nutrition to grow, female praying mantises often eat the male praying mantis directly after mating to supplement their nutrition."

Upon hearing this, Lin Sen nodded repeatedly.

"I know that. When I was a kid, I watched 'Black Cat Detective,' and this episode was my childhood nightmare!"

“That’s right.” Chen Nian continued seriously:

"Therefore, without human intervention, it is impossible to do the right thing at the right time. Everything is full of chance and accidents."

"This litter of leopard kittens must have been an accident."

His gaze swept over the two little lives nestled in their mother's arms.

His tone was both moved and admiring: "It's a miracle that they've survived until now! It's this hillside, with its abundant food and relatively safe environment, that has sheltered them."

"But the laws of nature are cruel and merciless."

"Many more 'unexpected' cubs have already been eliminated silently."

This heavy reality caused the atmosphere on the hillside to freeze once again.

At that moment, everyone understood how precious this litter of leopard kittens were; they were the chosen cats of this area!
Someone suggested in a low voice.

"Could we get a little closer? To get a clearer shot?"

"Absolutely not!" Chen Nian and Gu Ying's voices rang out almost simultaneously, their tone resolute.

Chen Nian's expression tightened: "If it's a lone leopard cat, we might be able to cautiously approach and observe it, provided we maintain a safe distance. But with cubs, the situation is completely different!"

"During the nursing period, the mother leopard cat's tolerance for potential threats drops to rock bottom!" "Once she senses any unease, she is very likely to immediately abandon the carefully chosen, well-fed nursery and migrate with her cubs overnight!"

"And the cubs are so young, their survival rate will plummet when they travel long distances into unknown, potentially competitive and dangerous new territories!"

"That's right!"

A painful memory flashed in Gu Ying's eyes, and her voice was low:
"I once filmed a lone pack of wolves in Qinghai. Because they got too close, the mother wolf was startled and killed the two weakest cubs on the spot. She then carried the only surviving cub and disappeared into the wilderness without looking back."

"That is a wound that I can never get over in my photography career."

"Teacher" Xia Qiyue held Gu Ying's hand with concern.

Gu Ying gave her a strong smile and continued:
"Such tragedies are not uncommon in nature! The most responsible attitude towards wild animals nursing their young is to keep your distance and observe them from afar without disturbing them!"

"This is a lesson learned the hard way by countless wildlife photographers!"

These heavy memories and harsh realities were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's desire to get closer.

Everyone deeply remembered this lesson learned at the cost of their lives.

But this heaviness was quickly melted away by the leopard cat family in the distance.

Two leopard kittens, having eaten and drunk their fill, began to clumsily wriggle and roll around beside their mother, nibbling at each other's ears and tails with their still-growing baby teeth.

The leopard cat mother lay lazily on her side, her golden eyes half-closed, radiating a soft, tired yet contented light, quietly guarding her treasure.

This lively and loving scene instantly dispelled the gloom in everyone's hearts.

Time passed quietly in this observation.

Gu Ying never put down her camera, clearly recording every interaction of the leopard cat family.

Until the golden glow of dusk dyed the western sky red!
After bathing the hillside, bushes, and the golden figure in a warm orange-red hue, the group, filled with awe and reluctance, quietly left the observation point like the receding tide, leaving no trace of disturbance.

Return to camp.

When the news of the discovery of a 'leopard cat family nursing cubs' was announced, the entire encampment erupted in jubilation!

Even the old guide, who had spent half his life walking in these mountains, was so excited that his beard trembled.

"Good heavens! A leopard cat with cubs? I've spent most of my life in these mountains, and I've only ever seen a lone one twice from afar! This is such a blessing!"

The infinitesimal was so excited that its face turned bright red.

"The fact that the leopard cat family chose to settle and raise their young here is the strongest testament to the ecological environment of this area!"

"This also shows that the route we chose is rich in resources and has very little interference! This is not only our good fortune, but also proof that our exploration direction is correct!"

"I believe that an even bigger surprise awaits us ahead!"

That night, thanks to the appearance of the leopard cat family, the team shook off the fatigue from the past few days of filming and immersed themselves in a celebration consisting of compressed biscuits and steaming hot instant noodles.

While observing the leopard cat, Chen Nian's live stream never stopped.

Countless cat lovers witnessed all of this.

The news that "the Infinite Small Team discovered a wild Asian leopard cat cub family" exploded across the internet like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly topping the trending search list at an astonishing speed!

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#Major Discovery by the Infinitesimal Team! Wild Asian Leopard Cat Nursery Family Photographed in Xinlong, Sichuan!

#Miracle! A golden fairy appears on the plateau: a heartwarming scene of a leopard cat mother with her twins is revealed for the first time!
#EcologicalGoodNews! Rare leopard cat population successfully breeds in Xinlong River Valley!
(End of this chapter)