All the Furry Creatures Come To Work In My Zoo

Zhou Zhao never thought he would see Yan Yan again. 

He had been Yan Yan's caregiver and therapist. When the tiger was rescued from a villager's home, she was only four months old. 

The little tiger’s mouth was stained with chicken blood and feathers. She was fierce, baring her teeth and growling at everyone. It took Zhou Zhao a long time to build a bond with Yan Yan, slowly gaining her trust so he could examine her malnourished body and nurse her back to health. 

At that time, Yan Yan became very familiar with Zhou Zhao. While she still hissed at others, she would eagerly approach him, seeking food. 

However, wild tigers cannot become too attached to humans, so the rehabilitation center staff eventually transferred Yan Yan to a recovery facility. There, she lived with other young tigers and learned how to hunt. 

Yan Yan was a strong and fearless cub. Compared to her younger brother, she was bolder—daring to sneak down the mountain alone to steal chickens when her mother was away. Though she was caught, her courage was undeniable. 

Zhou Zhao was the one who named her Yan Yan. Her fur was exceptionally vibrant, with fiery yellow tones, and even as a cub, it was clear she would grow into a stunning adult tiger. 

Because of her distinctive appearance, videos of Yan Yan uploaded online gained her a significant following. 

During her two years at the recovery center, Zhou Zhao regularly performed physical checkups on the anesthetized Yan Yan. She remained healthy and was the first among her peers to successfully hunt prey. 

At two and a half years old, Yan Yan was released into the wild with a tracking collar. 

Zhou Zhao monitored Yan Yan’s movements daily and occasionally caught glimpses of her on surveillance cameras in the reserve. 

Even after leaving the center, Yan Yan remained a skilled and ferocious hunter. She never went hungry, growing to an impressive size. By adulthood, she weighed 260 kilograms. She eventually found a mate and had several cubs. 

Yan Yan claimed her own territory and defeated several rival male tigers who tried to invade. When videos of her triumphs circulated online, she gained even more fans. 

Whenever Zhou Zhao saw the enormous and beautiful tigress in those videos, he felt a deep sense of pride. 

But eight years ago, Yan Yan's tracking collar fell off during a fight with another tiger. The last time she appeared on camera, she seemed to be injured and heading to another area. 

After that, Zhou Zhao received no further news about her. The staff at the rescue center searched but found nothing. 

Everyone assumed that Yan Yan, like all tigers, had likely been defeated by a younger rival after passing her prime and eventually succumbed to the wilderness—a common fate for wild animals. 

Still, Zhou Zhao couldn't let go. He often dreamed of Yan Yan and her younger brother, Ban Ban. 

He had also cared for Ban Ban at the rescue center, conducting health checks and nursing him back to strength. When both siblings were released into the wild, Zhou Zhao was present. 

Yan Yan and Ban Ban had been exceptional hunters at the recovery center and, upon returning to the wild, each claimed their own territories. Their early experiences and later exploits made them famous "tiger kings" online. However, the rescue center had lost track of both for years. 

Every time Zhou Zhao dreamed of the two young tigers, he woke with a sense of loss. The siblings had been extraordinary tiger kings, and their ultimate fates—disappearing without a trace—remained unknown.