Ocean Park keepers spend lockdown living on site to care for marine life
Workers at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park prepare fish for animal meals.
A keeper stays in touch with the sea lions.
Parks in Shanghai have been closed but who's taking care of the animals that call them home?
At Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in the Pudong New Area, more than 700 marine life keepers decided to stay on site during the city's lockdown to take care of the resident animals and guarantee their food and care.
The park is home to about 30,000 marine life, and they consume about 1,500 kilograms of feed daily.
Their meals include various kinds of fish and vegetables and they require healthy quantities of specific nutritional ingredients.
Before lockdown, the park had already stored a large amount of fish, fruits and vegetables. However, it was also hit by logistics difficulties and supply shortages.
To ensure adequate supplies, staffers contacted many agents and were able to purchase enough fish, such as salmon, from Shanghai Fisheries Group to guarantee the feed for animals.
A dolphin surfaces at the park.
Animal keepers clean the living area of animals.
"After we received the lockdown notice, an online conference was immediately held in late March and, unexpectedly, almost all staffers applied to stay at the park during lockdown," said Chen Jie, a senior animal care employee.
"In the beginning, we just wanted to encourage workers without seniors, children and pets at home to stay, but almost all said they were willing to accompany these creatures," said Chen.
In the end, 758 staff, including animal keepers, veterinarians, logistics and maintenance workers stayed.
"Because we have been with these lovely creatures for a long time, we have established deep bonds with them," said Wei Daixiong, an animal keeper. "They are like our own children."
"We know their living habits well, and they may feel uneasy without us," Wei added.
