The scene was both spectacular and somewhat comical.
Xia Zhining was reassuring the anxious albatross parents around her: "Don't worry, don't worry, we'll split up and help you look..."
Hey! What are you doing?!
A voice with a heavy accent rang out.
A zookeeper in an animal protection agency uniform, with a serious expression, came running up breathlessly and stretched out his arms to block Xia Zhi Ning and the flock of birds.
"People from China?" He recalled the news from the past few days and looked at Xia Zhining and the others warily. "Are you harassing these albatrosses?"
Anhe immediately stepped forward and showed his credentials: "We are a scientific expedition team that is legally participating in the joint investigation. We have complete permits and are looking for clues."
"I don't care about any investigation!" the caregiver waved her hand to interrupt. "Outsiders are not welcome here. Please leave immediately!"
“Now is not the time to argue,” Xia Zhining quickly pointed to the empty nests. “Look, at least three nests over there are missing their chicks. They were probably blown away by the wind.”
"It's dangerous for baby birds to be away from the nest for too long. There are many of us who can help look for them. That's much faster than you looking alone, isn't it?"
The zookeeper looked at the empty nest, then at the parent birds circling anxiously in the sky, and finally softened his expression: "...Okay, but you must act under my supervision!"
"make a deal."
Just as everyone split up to search, a sudden, urgent scream came from the side!
Suddenly, a skuas stealthily approached a nest where there were still baby birds.
It was trying to peck at the chubby baby that was still looking around in confusion.
In the blink of an eye, a huge gray-white figure swooped down like a cannonball!
This is the parent of this chubby baby, who just caught the little thief!
Like a furious sky war god, it used its broad and strong wings to deliver a solid and merciless "big slap" to the skuas!
"Gah—!"
The skuas was sent tumbling through the air three or four times by this "slap in the face" before crashing dizzily into a snowdrift in the distance.
Xia Zhining's eyes lit up when she saw the slinky gull that had just recovered from being in the "Big Bichon".
In the Antarctic ecosystem, skuas are notorious "street thugs" and "professional thieves".
Taking advantage of their agile flight and thick skin, they idle away their days, either stealing eggs guarded by penguin parents or snatching fish from other seabirds. They are like the "gangsters" of Antarctic birds, with a terrible reputation, but they are often the most "well-informed".
Xia Zhining gestured for her teammates to stay still, then tiptoed over and squatted down in front of the skuas that was preening its feathers.
"Little thief, confess honestly, did you give those chubby little ones who went missing from their den an extra meal?"
The skuas was startled, flapping its wings and hopping back two steps. Then it raised its head, its black bean-like eyes filled with "grievance" and "indignation," and cackled urgently and loudly:
[I'm innocent, boss! I swear to God, I've had absolutely the worst luck these past few days!]
[Forget about the chubby albatross chicks, I didn't even manage to touch a penguin egg!]
[I finally managed to spot someone alone, but that parent came back faster than the wind. You saw it yourself, I was almost slapped flat!]
It cried out with great emotion, and even flapped its wings to its own shriveled chest, giving off the air of a street rogue who was saying, "It's really not easy to make a living."
--illustration--
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