Chapter 354: Chapter 217: Doing Scientific Research in the Wilderness? (Ten Thousand-Word Combined Chapter)_5

"Second, the mother bear will immediately lick up all the excrement clean..."

Lin Yu’an showed a look of admiration on his face as he said this: "This might sound a bit... hard to accept, but it’s the ultimate wisdom of polar life evolved over millions of years."

"In that enclosed snow cave, isolated from the world for several months, this method keeps the nest absolutely clean and eliminates scents completely."

"The scent of the cubs’ excrement acts as a clear marker for the keen-nosed wolf, wolverine, or even a hungry male polar bear."

"The mother bear, through this method, erases all traces and also recovers precious moisture and salts from the cubs’ excrement."

"This sustains her basic consumption during the long nursing period of not eating, drinking, or excreting for months. Every seemingly incredible detail embodies the goal of survival."

He took a deep breath and closed the screen of the recorder.

"Of course, I don’t have a tongue like the mother bear, nor do I need to reclaim moisture." He laughed at himself.

"But the step of stimulating excretion, I need to complete for the mother bear. Otherwise, December may suffer more serious health issues if it can’t completely empty itself."

"Not to mention, it might turn our warm little nest into a... biological disaster site at any time."

He began to methodically prepare the "surgical instruments."

He took a pair of sterile-packaged medical-grade nitrile gloves out of the professional medical monitoring kit.

He showed the package to the camera, on which the label clearly read "Nitrile material, powder-free, sterilized."

This glove material is tough and impermeable, and unlike latex gloves, it does not cause allergic reactions, making it the first choice for any medical or caregiving tasks.

Then he retrieved several vacuum-compressed high-absorbency sterile cotton pads from the supply box, each approximately the size of his palm.

He also had a small bottle of clearly labeled 0.9% sodium chloride solution, or saline, to moisten the cotton pad, simulating the moisture of the mother bear’s tongue and providing a gentle cleansing effect.

"Alright, fully equipped." He shook the items in his hand with a comically willing expression on his face.

"These professionals thought of everything, even preparing these. Now, everything is ready, except for a... brave operator."

He first needed to establish a fixed toilet for December. Having a fixed excretion location habit is crucial for future feeding and rewilding training.

He walked to the door of the shelter and unlatched the heavy door. He needed to find a leeward spot away from the internal living area of the shelter, making it easy to clean and observe.

He finally chose a spot a few meters from the leeward side outside the shelter under a low spruce tree. He stomped around with his foot, where the snow was relatively flat and thick.

He dug a snow pit about twenty centimeters deep and laid a layer of spruce needles at the bottom.

"OK, the dedicated outdoor toilet is ready." He nodded with satisfaction.

"Choosing the leeward side is to let the scent be quickly blown away by the wind. Digging a pit and laying needles is to concentrate the excrement for easy observation and subsequent cleaning."

After completing all preparations, he returned indoors and gently picked up the still sleepy December, who had no idea what it was about to face.

The little guy, thinking it was time to play, affectionately nudged against him in his arms.

"Let’s go, little guy, we’re going to the toilet. This might be your first hygiene lesson in bear life, so learn well."

He carried December to the simple toilet outside and squatted slightly in the snow, with one hand supporting December’s chest and abdomen from beneath and the other on its back.

He aligned its little bottom right over the snow pit, letting its hind legs hang naturally, a position that relaxes the abdominal muscles of the cub, aiding excretion.

The cold made December a bit uneasy, and it started to wiggle in Lin Yu’an’s arms. Lin Yu’an soothed it, rubbing his cheek against its head.

Then he opened the sterile packaging and put on the blue nitrile gloves, which fit his hands perfectly, allowing him to feel the sensation of his fingertips clearly.

He unscrewed the cap of the saline bottle, poured some out, thoroughly soaked a sterile cotton pad, and covered it briefly with the warmth of his palm, making it moist rather than cold.

Recalling the illustrations and text in the guide, "The pressure should be gentle but steady, at a frequency of about one to two times per second, massaging in a clockwise direction."

He began to use the warm cotton pad to gently massage and wipe the area around December’s little belly and anus in a circular motion.

December was evidently not used to this unfamiliar sensation, its body immediately tensed!

Its sleepy eyes snapped open wide, and it let out a sharp, protesting "Awoo" from its throat, its four small legs kicking erratically in the air, trying to escape this "harassment."

"Don’t move, don’t move, little guy, relax, it’ll be over soon." Lin Yu’an used the gentlest voice possible to soothe it while holding it more securely with his chest and arm.

But his hands did not dare to pause, only moving lighter and slower. He could feel the little guy’s body in his arms tense like a rock, with all its fur seemingly standing on end.