Being a Dad in the Animal World
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He thought the timeline might not match up, but when those familiar faces appeared in his sight, there wasn’t a trace of aging on them. Even
He thought the timeline might not match up, but when those familiar faces appeared in his sight, there wasn’t a trace of aging on them. Even their clothing and style were exactly the same as back then.
National treasure confused.jpg
Bai Yi was once again targeted by the 'Death Camera Crew' To be honest, his feelings were quite complicated.
Filming the Chinese white dolphin was his first close encounter with wild animals after joining the job. That dolphin was really adorable.
Whenever it encountered their crew’s boat in the shallow sea, it would always come over to greet them.
Back then, most of the viewers in the live stream were fans of this dolphin. They would wait in front of their screens every day for the broadcast to start, just to catch a glimpse of their Erdan.
Yes, Wang Erdan. His agent was named Wang Erya, the girl who called herself 'mom'
Even a dolphin had an agent, which showed just how influential this dolphin was online.
So, after three months of filming, when the dolphin was hunted and killed, not only were the fans furious, but Bai Yi was also deeply saddened.
But now, Bai Yi had become Wang Erdan himself.
Could he ask his agent to change his name?
Wang Erdan really didn’t suit the aura of a rare species like him, okay?
The filming crew arrived as scheduled, and their filming this time was also approved by the local relevant authorities.
The local dolphin research institute also hoped to gain some useful information from it, but what they didn’t expect was that the dolphin’s story would end in tragedy.
Bai Yi couldn’t help but wonder, if the filming crew hadn’t come, would Wang Erdan have been able to escape this fate?
No one knew, after all, the death curse of their crew was too strong.
And now, they still refused to believe it, not thinking that the deaths of the animals they filmed were because of the crew.
Their youthful faces, (innocent and carefree), happily explained the prelude to the live stream in front of the camera.
They were happy, but Bai Yi was terrified.
He hoped he could safely survive the first three months of their filming.
After all, the live stream project filming the white dolphin only lasted three months.
He thought he had escaped the fate of being filmed, but in the end, they still followed him.
They wouldn’t even let him go after death.
The female director of the filming crew was giving a pre-broadcast explanation:
"We are very happy to be here along the coast of Mozambique, meeting this star dolphin from our homeland. He was transported here by poachers, but fortunately, he wasn’t harmed. Otherwise, it would have been a great loss to the animal world"
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to film this Chinese white dolphin, and we are filled with excitement. We hope to coexist harmoniously in the days to come."
"His name is Wang Erdan, which is a very interesting name."
A girl proudly explained, "That’s the name I gave him. Our Erdan takes after me. I’m his mom and also his agent."
Bai Yi: "..."
Well, I really should thank you for giving me such a high-end, grand, and classy name.
Bai Yi couldn’t coexist harmoniously with them because they were here to take his life as a dolphin. He had to take little Jason and stay far away from these people.
So, the people who had just arrived in the waters of Mozambique saw an unusual scene.
A pink dolphin, accompanied by a small gray dolphin, was desperately swimming forward at high speed. From time to time, it leaped out of the water, performed a free spin, and then plunged back in.
The pink figure flickered in and out of the seawater.
Everyone couldn’t help but marvel at how energetic he was.
Bai Yi remembered correctly. Back then, the dolphin he filmed didn’t have a baby dolphin with him. He lived alone in this area, not even making friends with bottlenose dolphins, like a child with autism.
So Bai Yi guessed that the original dolphin he now inhabited most likely had autism. After all, dolphins have high intelligence and can experience emotions.
In nature, mating for all animals is solely for reproduction, driven by genetic instinct, and is generally not about pleasure at all.
He had witnessed this firsthand when he was a lion. Although he liked Jason very much, every time Jason mounted him, it was extremely painful, with no pleasure involved.
But dolphins are different. Like humans, they can experience sensations in this regard and often engage in indecent behaviors for pleasure.
This is also the source of the various news stories about dolphins’ indecent behaviors.
Bai Yi wanted to make friends with bottlenose dolphins, but he was afraid these shameless brothers might harass him.
Moreover, since he had a baby dolphin with him, and male dolphins might pose a threat to the little one. So he had to put the idea of making friends on hold.
However, coincidentally, today when he took little Jason to the seabed, he encountered a group of dolphins. They were also heading out to hunt. To ensure the safety of the baby dolphin, Bai Yi had to keep his distance.
Yet, no matter how much he tried to avoid them, he couldn’t hide his uniqueness. All the male dolphins started swimming toward him because he looked so different from the rest.
Soon, he attracted the attention of these male dolphins.
Bai Yi thought, "This is bad. These rascals are either going to attack me or act indecently. I need to retreat."
However, the group of dolphins quickly surrounded him. The air was filled with chattering dolphin sounds, as if they were saying.
"What is this thing? Why does it look so different from us?"
Dolphins are incredibly curious creatures. When they encounter something new, they tend to examine it for a long time and actively interact with it.
Bai Yi tried to communicate with them using his own sounds, hoping to let them know that he wasn’t some strange outlier, he was just like them.
While he was being surrounded, some of the male dolphins also noticed the little dolphin beneath Bai Yi’s belly.
The aggressive male dolphins began to attack the baby dolphin. Bai Yi had no choice but to retreat with the little one, forcefully swinging his tail to drive away the male dolphins targeting Jason.
It seemed his hope of making friends was dashed. He decided it was better to take his child and stay far away from these overly curious creatures.
Thanks to his excellent swimming skills, Bai Yi and Jason quickly escaped from those troublemakers.
Although the shallow waters posed little danger to Bai Yi, who was almost an adult dolphin, but for the baby dolphin, threats were everywhere.
For example, as they swam, they encountered a group of black grouper. These fish were huge, each weighing over two hundred pounds, and they could easily see the baby dolphin as food.
Moreover, these fish usually traveled in groups and rarely strayed from their pack.
With Jason in tow, Bai Yi couldn’t hunt such large fish. He had no choice but to return to the seabed to look for smaller prey.
Of course, if he could catch a black grouper, he wouldn’t need to search for food all day. One fish would likely be more than enough for both of them.
Aside from these visible dangers, there were also hidden threats.
For instance, parasites.
Bai Yi went back to the seabed and used his old trick of following stingrays. Stingrays have strong electroreception abilities, and as they glide along the seabed, they can easily detect food.
Once they sense food, they open their mouths wide and swallow it along with the sand.
So, following stingrays was a surefire way to find prey.
However, this time, luck wasn’t on his side. Bai Yi and his baby dolphin got infested with parasites.
These parasites weren’t the traditional kind humans think of. They were actually a type of fish called remoras.
These fish could grow up to half a meter long, with suction discs on their heads. They usually attached themselves to large marine animals like orcas, sharks, and dolphins, using their hosts’ swimming abilities to travel long distances.
Having these creatures attached to their bodies was undoubtedly uncomfortable. Bai Yi felt it, and it was even worse for the baby dolphin.
Adult dolphins could use their speed to shake off these parasites or rub against the seabed to scrape them off. But the baby dolphin didn’t have the strength to do so.
After rubbing against the seabed several times to get rid of his own parasites, Bai Yi went to help the baby dolphin.
Alright, he needed to take the baby to the surface to breathe. Staying underwater for too long could make the little one sick.
Bai Yi brought the baby dolphin to the surface again. After the little one finished breathing, he took it back to the seabed to continue scraping off the parasites.
After bumping against the seabed several times, Bai Yi felt like he was about to knock himself out. Fortunately, he managed to shake off the remora.
Now he could focus on feeding the baby. He hunted another squid and brought the little dolphin to the surface to eat.
He carefully chewed the squid into small pieces, then opened his mouth to offer it to the baby dolphin.
Having experienced its first meal, the baby dolphin ate much faster this time.
It was clear the little one was starving.
At that moment, a gray dolphin approached from the surface.
But it wasn’t a real dolphin—it was a camera device.
Bai Yi knew the filming crew had started their work. He ignored it.
Ever since the star dolphin, Wang Erdan, left their homeland, fans back home had been extremely worried.
Since the filming crew was European, the footage needed to be relayed to the domestic audience. The agent, Wang Erya, took on this important task. She would broadcast updates on Wang Erdan’s current situation in real-time.
It was obvious that Wang Erdan had far fewer fans abroad than at home.
Facing the camera, Miss Wang Erya told the fans:
"Erdan is currently living in a good environment. All his vital signs are normal, and there are no signs of injury. His good buddy isn’t with him, but he’s picked up a baby dolphin."
The camera shifted to show the adult dolphin feeding the baby dolphin:
"Erdan has always been a caring dolphin. Whether at home or abroad, he embodies kindness in every way. This is something that makes me very proud."
"As we all know, male dolphins never take care of their young, but our Erdan does. He truly lives up to being my good boy."
Most of the fans referred to themselves as 'mom fans':
"It’s been a month, and we finally get to see him! Wuwuwu, my baby is so adorable. Now the big cutie has a little cutie with him. I hope they can return safely!"
"Erya, when is Erdan coming back? We all miss him so much. We often go to the East Sea to look for him. It’s been too long since we’ve seen him. We miss him so much, ahhh!"
"Usually, whenever we go to see him, no matter how far away he is, he always swims over to greet us. This time, when we went to see him, he wasn’t there. It was so heartbreaking. We’ve been worried for over a month. Thankfully, he’s okay."
"Bring Erdan back. It’s too dangerous out there. It’s safer at home."
"Dolphins living in our country are the happiest, and I won’t accept any arguments against that."
Wang Erya understood how everyone felt. Her Erdan was not only well-behaved and approachable but had also saved many drowning people and helped those suffering from depression.
That’s why so many people adored him.
She sighed helplessly:
"Local researchers want to keep Erdan here for a while. They’ve already signed contracts with the relevant authorities. We can only bring him back after the contract expires. During this time, don’t worry. I’ll stay here and keep you updated on his situation at all times. Please don’t be anxious."
When the fans heard that Erdan wouldn’t be returning anytime soon, they became extremely emotional.
"Those people always say nice things when they borrow our rare animals, but their actions are far from humane. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Erdan there."
"Exactly! We’ve seen this happen before. Isn’t this the same situation as with our giant pandas? They borrow them and then mistreat our national treasures. It’s unacceptable! Erdan is the aquatic panda, a first-class protected animal. We can’t let him get hurt."
"Bring him back. Forget about the contracts. We can’t let anything bad happen to Erdan. He’s so adorable. It would break my heart if something happened to him!"
As a rare species, Bai Yi naturally understood what his existence as a dolphin meant. He had more fans online than some celebrity influencers.
So, unsurprisingly, most of the viewers in the filming crew’s live stream were his fans.
Those fans were absolutely fanatical. They had the whole idol culture thing down to a science.
Anti-black campaigns, chart rankings, and comment control—they handled it all effortlessly. Some even had fan club leaders.
The treatment he received was even more extravagant than that of a celebrity.
That’s why the dolphin’s death due to inadequate protection drove the fans into a frenzy.
Although being loved by so many people felt wonderful, Bai Yi still wanted to advise his fans to stay rational. Don’t go too crazy. After all, he was just a dolphin, not a human. There was no need for such extreme devotion.
After eating two squids, the little one still wasn’t full. He let out anxious cries toward Bai Yi, who responded by gently touching the baby dolphin’s head with his fin, then moving to its pale belly.
Hmm, so smooth and adorable.
The little one blinked its innocent eyes, exposing its belly to the surface for Bai Yi to touch. Bai Yi played with it for a while, nudging it with his mouth, then flipped over to let the baby float on his belly.
The two dolphins, one big and one small, played a parent-child game on the surface.
Parent-child games are crucial during a baby dolphin’s growth. Mothers use these activities to teach their young how to hunt and use their sonar systems to locate food. Sometimes, the ultrasonic waves emitted by dolphins can even stun their prey.
However, this baby dolphin was still too young. Bai Yi could only play games with it for now before taking it to the shallow seabed to hunt.
The baby couldn’t hold its breath for long underwater, so Bai Yi didn’t dare take it to the deep sea. He had to search for food in the shallows.
This time, he targeted a cuttlefish.
Cuttlefish and squids, being soft-bodied creatures, were the perfect choice for feeding the baby. They had no bones and were easy to digest.
To hunt the cuttlefish, the baby had to keep up with Bai Yi’s pace. If it fell behind, it could be in danger.
The little one struggled to match the big brother’s speed, watching as Bai Yi swallowed the cuttlefish in one bite.
Then, the baby climbed under Bai Yi’s belly, opening its mouth to beg for food.
Bai Yi had to take it to the surface to feed it. This cuttlefish was quite large and should be enough to fill the little one up.
Once again, Bai Yi chewed the prey into small pieces and fed it mouth-to-mouth to the little one. The baby ate happily, occasionally letting out joyful sounds, as if thanking Bai Yi.
Seeing that the baby could eat its fill, Bai Yi stopped worrying. There was a little bit left that the baby didn’t eat, so Bai Yi swallowed it himself.
When he had nothing to do, Bai Yi liked to float motionless on the surface of the water. But with the baby dolphin around, after filling their stomachs, he had to swim and teach the little one some swimming techniques.
For example, leaping out of the water to perform a free spin—a favorite activity of every male dolphin.
The little one clearly didn’t know how to do it yet. He could only follow behind Bai Yi, constantly leaping out of the water and then diving back into the sea.
The baby was still young, and Bai Yi was patient. He took his time, not rushing.
Over the past few days, the little one had learned that Bai Yi didn’t have a pouch for carrying babies. Instead of staying under Bai Yi’s belly, the baby now preferred to follow near Bai Yi’s head. Whenever Bai Yi lowered his head, he could easily touch the baby.
One day, they swam close to the shore, passing by some seaweed. Bai Yi found a few strands that looked particularly nice, picked them up with his mouth, and handed them to little Jason, hoping to give him a toy.
However, this behavior left everyone puzzled.
Normally, male dolphins only behave this way when courting female dolphins. They carefully select what they consider the most beautiful seaweed as a gift to express their affection.
If the female dolphin accepts the male, she will take the gift with her mouth, and the two will then engage in mating.
Bai Yi’s behavior clearly didn’t align with typical dolphin habits.
The fans found it amusing.
"If the other one weren’t a little male dolphin, I’d think our Erdan has finally learned how to court a mate."
"How lucky the baby dolphin is! Erdan must really like him to give him a gift. But he’s probably just giving it to the baby as a toy. Don’t overthink it, everyone."
"Even so, it’s still so heartwarming. Erdan is really thoughtful. He must know the baby dolphin needs toys."
However, something even more puzzling happened next.
Logically, a baby dolphin less than a month old wouldn’t understand how to respond to an adult dolphin’s gift-giving behavior.
But this little dolphin was different.
When they saw Erdan take the baby to the shore to surf in the waves, the little one picked up a particularly beautiful seashell from the sand and swam over to Erdan with it.
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