凌晨五点，天还没有完全亮，71岁的冯元勇已经拿着手电筒，一间一间检查动物笼舍。
他干了几十年校长，也当过教研员。而现在，他每天早上的第一件事，是去摸摸老虎的鼻子。退休后，他来到贵州凯里这家民营动物园，成了这里的饲养员、维修工，甚至业余“兽医”，照料着园里的二十多种动物。
At 5 am, Feng Yuanyong was already making his rounds in the semi-darkness with a flashlight in hand, checking the animal enclosures one by one.
The 71-year-old spent decades as a school principal and educational researcher. Now, his mornings begin with touching the noses of tigers at a privately-run mini zoo in Kaili, a city in Southwest China's Guizhou province. After retirement, Feng beame the facility's zookeeper, repairman and even an unofficial "veterinarian", devoting himself to caring for more than 20 species of animals.
冯元勇与帮忙打扫动物园的志愿者和环卫工人合影。刘伯千 摄
“摸鼻子”是他多年来摸索出的“土方法”。在他看来，鼻子是否湿润，可以用来判断动物是否健康。
在走红之前，凯里动物园经历过漫长的艰难时光。那段时间，连动物的饲料都成了问题。冯元勇就在园里开荒种地，能省一点是一点。
The morning routine is a ritual Feng has repeated for the past decade. He touches the tigers' noses to see whether they are moist — a simple method he developed after years of observing and caring for animals.
Before becoming a viral attraction, Kaili Zoo endured long periods of hardship. At one stage, even feeding the animals became a challenge. Feng began growing vegetables to cut costs.
去年10月以来，短视频让凯里动物园意外走红。最火的时候，这个小小的动物园一天就涌入了上万名游客。队伍从动物园门口一直排到了山坡下。
“这么小的动物园，一万多人，你说怎么站？”冯元勇回忆说。过去那些年，他愁的是没有游客；如今一下子来了这么多人，他又开始发愁。
Since October last year, short videos have turned Kaili Zoo into an internet sensation. At its peak, more than 10,000 visitors went to the tiny zoo in a single day. Lines stretched from the zoo entrance all the way down the hillside.
"How could a zoo this small handle more than 10,000 people? Where could they even stand?" Feng recalled. For years, he had worried about having too few visitors. Then suddenly, he had to worry about having too many.
凯里动物园发布的视频截图
随着动物园的关注度越来越高，质疑声也随之而来：这么小的场地，能养好这些动物吗？目前，园里住着狮子、熊、老虎、豹子、秃鹫、猴子、兔子，还有鸭子，大大小小几十只。冯元勇也承认：“地方实在太小了，我能做的也有限。”
As attention to the zoo has grown, so have questions over whether such a small facility can properly care for its animals. It is now home to dozens of animals including a lion, bears, tigers, leopards, vultures and monkeys as well as rabbits and ducks. Feng acknowledges the challenge. "The zoo is too small. There is only so much I can do," he said.
游客参观后走出凯里动物园大门。刘伯千 摄
但流量也带来了实实在在的改变。门票20元一张，现在工作日期间每天能来一两百人，周末人更多，收入有了着落。
他的抖音账号如今拥有超过14万粉丝，短视频平台带来的收益约1.6万元，他一直没有取出。
However, the attention has also brought positive changes. With tickets priced at 20 yuan, the zoo now receives 100 to 200 visitors on weekdays and more on weekends, providing a stable source of revenue.
His Douyin account now has more than 140,000 followers and has generated about 16,000 yuan in revenue. He said he has never withdrawn the money.
“这不是我的收益，而是大家共同努力的收益。”他说，“打算用来奖励那些帮忙宣传动物园的志愿者和热心人。”
“现在的客流量，我已经非常满意了。一年前，我连想都不敢想。”他说，“再没什么好操心的了。”
"This is not income that belongs to me. It belongs to everyone who has worked here together," he said, adding that he hopes to use it to reward volunteers and others who have helped promote the zoo.
"I am extremely happy with the number of visitors we have now. A year ago, I could never have imagined this," he said. "Now I can say there is not much left to worry about."
记者：刘伯千
编辑：夏梦晨
实习生：庄依惠
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