Parents led their excited children by the hand, young people held up selfie sticks, and tour group flags fluttered in the morning breeze. The din of human voices and car horns mingled, audible from a great distance.
Yang Qi had gotten up before six in the morning, first going to feed the Gray Wolf and the raccoons.
Then he went to the Beaked Eagle Cage.
Just as he'd expected, Qi Zai was gone first thing in the morning. The enclosure was empty, save for a few brown feathers scattered under the perch.
At seven o'clock, the park officially opened.
The turnstiles were instantly flooded by a sea of people.
Yang Qi changed into a dark blue vest with "Animal Observer" printed on it. With an ID card hanging from his chest, a walkie-talkie in his hand, and a single earpiece in his ear, he blended into the swelling crowds within the park.
He didn't have a fixed route.
Starting from the plaza near the visitor center, he slowly made his way inward along the main path.
