Retired school principal saves tiny zoo from extinction

Feng Yuanyong (third from left) poses for a photo with a volunteer and sanitation workers in the zoo in Kaili, Guizhou province, on July 31. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

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 education official. 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 became the facility's zookeeper, repairman and even an unofficial "veterinarian", devoting himself to caring for more than 20 species of animals.

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. He said small details like this one can reveal whether an animal is in good health. "People can tell you when they feel sick, animals can't," he said.

Time has left its marks on Feng's face. His gaze is steady and focused, but whenever he talks about the animals, he breaks into his trademark warm smile.

Built on a hillside, a 10-minute drive from downtown Kaili, the Kaili Zoo covers about 0.35 hectares.

Unlike most other zoos, it has no sprawling grounds or a large number of staff. For years, visitors were few, and the revenue was barely enough to cover daily expenses, but he stayed on.

Feng transports freshly cut grass to feed herbivorous animals in the zoo. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

On-the-job training

Feng never planned to become a zoo director, instead choosing a career in the education sector.

In 1977, the year China reinstated the gaokao national college entrance examination, Feng was admitted to a teachers' college. After graduation, he started teaching in a rural area and later rose to the position of school principal before joining the education department as a physics education researcher.

In 2016, his younger brother asked him to help at Kaili Zoo, which was struggling financially and needed someone to manage it. What was meant to be a temporary arrangement became a permanent commitment. "Once I came, I never left," Feng said.

Many of the zoo animals were rescued or donated. Feng said he came to see each one as part of his family.

"They are just like my own children," he said, explaining every animal had its own story and refusing to say which one he loved the most.

Before becoming a viral attraction, Kaili Zoo endured long periods of hardship. For years, it survived not because it was profitable, but because of Feng's persistence.

The zoo originally operated alongside an amusement park. But when the park went into decline and closed, the zoo lost its main source of visitors.

During the hardest period, nearby construction work cut off the road near the zoo, leaving visitors unable to reach it.

At one stage, even feeding the animals became a challenge. Feng began growing vegetables to cut costs. "I thought about giving up. But what would happen to these animals?" he said.

Using a hoe, Feng cleared mountain paths and made directional signs to help visitors find their way. One read: "The zoo is 150 meters ahead along the mountain path. Brave children will receive a free portion of food to feed the animals."

Kaili Zoo began attracting wider attention almost by accident.

A visitor came to the zoo one day and saw Feng preparing food for the animals. She asked whether she could film him caring for them.

Feng agreed and told her that if she helped promote the zoo, she could feed the animals.

Soon, more visitors began sharing their experiences online. One tourist from Shanghai suggested that Feng try promoting the zoo on Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, a popular Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform. Feng had never heard of the platform and thought it was the name of a book.

Feng introduces the animals' stories and habits to children. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

There was no marketing team and no commercial strategy. His only form of promotion was letting visitors see how he cared for the animals every day.

That authenticity eventually won people over.

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.

For an attraction that once struggled with only a handful of visitors, the sudden surge in popularity became a major challenge. 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.

After the zoo went viral, local authorities helped improve roads, manage crowds and upgrade basic facilities.

Previously, the narrow mountain road leading to the zoo was difficult to access. Local urban management officials worked around the clock for two days to build a safer hillside path.

"At that time, there were simply too many people. The first priority was safety, and the second was making sure visitors had a better experience," said Yang Guanglei, an official with the local urban management department.

Sanitation workers also joined the effort.

"We sent more workers to help clean the zoo in the mornings," Yang said. "It would have been too difficult for Feng to handle everything alone. We also help maintain the landscaping and greenery."

Almost every morning around 7 am, three or four sanitation workers arrive at the zoo to clear fallen leaves and trash.

Over time, they have become familiar faces at the zoo.

Feng often jokes: "Whenever there is a problem, just find Yang. He always knows what to do."

Visitors walk out of Kaili Zoo on July 31. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

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.

Feng talks to fans of the zoo via a video call. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

New responsibilities

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.

Unlike large zoos, Kaili Zoo has no professional veterinary team or management system. Much of Feng's animal care relies on years of observation and experience. During feeding, he watches closely for any changes in the animals' behavior or condition.

But for protected species, responsibility extends beyond daily care. The zoo must submit regular reports to forestry authorities, and trained veterinarians must be called in when animals are ill.

"I'm not perfect. I worry that one day I might make a mistake and be overwhelmed by the attention brought by online popularity," Feng said. "A small mistake could lead to serious consequences, which is why I am always cautious."

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.

Tourists feed monkeys in the zoo on July 31. LIU BOQIAN/CHINA DAILY

The animals are now better fed, with carnivores receiving chicken or beef daily and herbivores receiving additional food from visitors.

Kaili's tourism authorities have begun promoting the zoo as one of the city's tourism attractions.

"We have arranged dedicated tourism routes and bus services connecting the zoo with the city center and transportation hubs," said Yang Xiaokang from the local tourism department. "In the future, we hope educational programs for students can also be introduced here."

Despite the newfound popularity, Feng has no plans for large-scale commercial expansion. He said he does not want the zoo to become overly commercialized.

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.

"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.

As visitor numbers have stabilized, Feng has returned to his quiet routine that kept the zoo going long before it became an internet sensation.

"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."