How a zoo in Nanjing helped kickstart efforts to prioritise public education about the natural world.

南京一所动物园率先采取行动，注重开展公众自然教育。

“Where are the monkeys？ Can you see them， mummy？” asks an excited child visiting Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing， eastern China. The zoo’s unusual design and goals have attracted attention online， and a flood of visitors， who may find spotting the animals harder than they expected.

“猴子在哪儿呢？你能看见吗，妈妈？”一名来华东南京市的红山森林动物园游玩的小朋友兴冲冲地问。这所动物园因其独特的布局和主题在网上走红，大批游客慕名而来，却发现想要在这里看到动物比想象中要难。

The zoo tries to mimic the natural environment of its animals. Sometimes， that means they hide in thick undergrowth， or take a nap in a quiet corner， and the tourists go home “empty-handed”， but not necessarily disappointed. “It’s not like you’re visiting a zoo，” says one online commenter. “It’s like visiting the animals at home.”

这所动物园力图模仿动物们的自然生存环境。有些时候，动物们或躲在厚密的灌木丛中，或在安静的角落里打盹儿。虽然游客们“空手而归”，但他们未必大失所望。有人在网上这样说：“这不像在逛动物园，倒像来了趟动物的家。”

With public awareness of environmental and conservation issues perceived to be on the rise in China， some of its zoos are transforming. What were once venues for entertaining the public now increasingly work to educate their visitors and conserve nature.

随着公众环保意识不断提高，国内有的动物园正在转型。原先供人们游玩的动物园如今正越发注重保护自然环境及让游客收获教益。

The viral zoo

动物园爆火

Hongshan Forest Zoo is the only self-funded public zoo in a Chinese provincial capital. Despite being government-owned， it covers all expenses using its own income. That may sound precarious—what if admission revenues fall？—but it also means more freedom for zoo managers. Currently， 85 per cent of the zoo’s income comes from ticket sales， at CNY 40 （US$5.50） each.

红山森林动物园是中国省会动物园中唯一的一家自筹资金的公共动物园。尽管归政府所属，它却需要用自己的营收去承担动物园各项开支。要是动物园门票收入下降该怎么办？这听起来不免让人担心。不过，这同时意味着动物园管理人员拥有更多的自主权。目前，这所动物园85%的收入来源于门票，每张售价40元（合5.5美元）。

When they walked through the gates， visitors were not met with the zoo experience of their childhoods. Performances and feeding opportunities had been replaced by extra information panels. The animals weren’t pacing back and forth in enclosures of steel and concrete. In fact， they seemed to have been granted some privacy.

游客们走入动物园的大门时，迎面而来的不再是他们儿时记忆中动物园的场景。原先动物表演和投喂的地点早已竖立起许多信息展示牌。动物们不用被困在钢筋混凝土浇筑而成的场地里走来走去了。确切地说，它们似乎被赋予了属于自己的空间。

In an interview with China Central Television published in 2024， Chen Chuanwu， a life sciences professor at Nanjing Normal University， explained： “At Hongshan， you’ll find the paths for visitors are narrow， while the animals have plenty of living space. It’s more like their natural habitat， so they display more of their natural behaviour.” Shen Zhijun’s viral clip earned Hongshan a rush of attention， but the zoo’s lasting success has been built on a determination to respect and prioritise its animals.

中央电视台在2024年播出了一段采访，南京师范大学生命科学学院教授陈传武接受采访时说：“在红山，你会发现人走的路并不宽阔，但是动物的生存环境空间相当广阔……在红山这种更接近自然的生存环境下，动物们也能更多地展现自然行为。”1尽管园长沈志军的热门视频让红山动物园突然间获得大量关注，但“尊重动物、以动物优先”的决心，才是这所动物园能持续成功的根本原因。

Dialogue Earth2 consulted the zoo’s deputy head， Bai Yali. She says zoos are typically built around solo exhibits of big animals—elephants， lions， tigers and so on—to draw in visitors. Now， Hongshan’s exhibits are starting to focus on ecosystems or educational themes. In 2021 for example， Hongshan opened a local species conservation zone， educating visitors on the animals found in and around Nanjing.

“对话地球”咨询了红山动物园副园长白亚丽。