Chapter 395 The thief cries "Stop thief!" Xia Zhining suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
She thought of the Antarctic skuas, an animal with an extremely sensitive sense of smell.
They use their noses to find food hidden under the snow and ice, track the specific paths of injured prey, and can even distinguish the scents of different animals.
They're like the police dogs of birds!
Why not just take them in on the spot?
Without saying a word, Xia Zhining took out a small piece of fresh cod and waved it at the skuas:
"How about we talk? Can you help me find those three lost chubby albatross babies?"
"I'll treat you to this, all you can eat, how about it?"
The Antarctic skuas's beady eyes immediately locked onto the dried fish. It flapped its wings and hopped forward two steps, its voice laced with a shrewd probe: "Really? Not kidding? Let me check it out first!"
Xia Zhining smiled and tossed the small piece of dried fish over.
The skuas caught it precisely in mid-air, stretched its neck and swallowed it, then smacked its lips, and the bird's entire demeanor instantly changed.
The thieving air of "being ready to steal chickens and dogs at any time" that I had just felt has subsided considerably.
It puffed out its chest, folded its wings neatly, and its bird face seemed to proclaim "Loyalty!"
It looked at Xia Zhining expectantly: [Boss, is there anything else you need? I'm a professional at tracking birds!]
Xia Zhining suppressed a laugh and turned to the still wary zookeeper, saying, "Sir, there's an efficient way to get this skuas to help."
"Its sense of smell can track the scents left by the chicks. I need to take it to the empty nest to smell them."
"What?!"
The zookeeper's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he pointed at the skuas that had instantly "reformed" and stood ramrod straight. "You...you can command this thieving bird?"
"It's a notorious bandit! It's lucky if it doesn't take the opportunity to steal eggs and peck at the chicks!"
Seeing that the zookeeper still looked unconvinced, Xia Zhining turned to the skuas and gestured: "Go, say hello to that zookeeper and show him our sincerity."
The skuas flapped its wings and actually walked up to the dumbfounded zookeeper, lowered its head in a proper manner, touched the feathers on its chest with its beak, and made a gesture similar to "bowing".
nurse:"……???"
He was completely dumbfounded, pointing at the "polite" skuas, stammering, "It, it's... bowing to me?!"
This was the first time in all his years in Antarctica that he had ever seen a skuas bow to a human!
Is something wrong with this world?!
Seeing the skuas' cooperative behavior, Xia Zhining couldn't help but think of a certain crow: "It's my temporary worker now, paid according to its work, and absolutely follows the rules. Finding the chicks is good for everyone, right?"
The zookeeper looked at the skuas that was acting out of character, practically with the words "I am a good bird" plastered on its forehead.
Looking at the empty nests and the anxious parents in the sky, it finally wavered.
He gritted his teeth and stepped aside: "...Fine! But you have to keep a close eye on it! What if it dares to do something reckless..."
"Don't worry," Xia Zhining waved to the skuas, "it's more eager than anyone else to earn its reward right now."
Antarctic skuas approached the empty nest and began to sniff carefully.
Although the albatross parents around them cawed warily, they did not swarm forward.
They are typical examples of "everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep" social interactions; as long as they don't invade their own territory, they simply observe and watch.
The skuas twitched its nose, then suddenly raised its head: [Smells... Come with me!]
It led Xia Zhining and her group around several rocks, finally stopping in front of a hidden crevice.
Everyone peeked out—
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