"Few people recognized the cat before, and when they saw it in a zoo they didn't care about it," Qi said, adding that as its popularity has increased, many tourists have come to see it.

Qi, born and raised in the countryside, has loved animals since he was young. When others were taking a nap, he slipped into the wilds to look for insects and birds.

After graduating from high school in his hometown, Baoding, Hebei province, he enrolled at Qinghai University and studied environmental science. His passion for animals inspired him to study for a master's in animal science. After graduating in 2009, he became a keeper in the park, taking care of goats.

He was appointed deputy director in 2013 and came to learn about enriching such facilities by giving animals healthy and happy lives by changing the environment and methods of raising them, such as providing them with toys.

Because of a lack of funding, each keeper designs and makes toys for the animals, using old objects and toys.