Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 130: The Accidental Nanny

Nancy’s eyes widened in shock. "Barry’s at the zoo tonight? Did he finally agree to bring Star in for a formal stay?"

At the mention of his boss, Jorgan’s expression turned uncharacteristically awkward. He cleared his throat. "Well... it seems he’s been forced to stay at the zoo today. He hasn't been able to make his escape yet."

"It would be best if you went in to help release him from his current predicament."

"Forced to stay at the zoo?" Nancy was even more confused. "What on earth does that mean?"

Jorgan gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Well... you’ll understand the situation better once you see it for yourself."

Hooked by curiosity, Nancy followed Jorgan’s lead, practically itching to find out what could possibly trap a man like Barry.

As they walked through the grounds, she realized Jorgan was taking her back to the snow leopard enclosure—the same place where she had performed the emergency delivery. Through the observation glass, Nancy witnessed a scene that nearly made her jaw hit the floor.

Barry was sitting there, cradling the few-days-old snow leopard cub in his arms. He was holding a nursing bottle, focused intensely on feeding the little creature.

His features were sharp and his physique powerful, his high-end tailored suit usually projecting an aura of cold authority. Yet, here he was, tenderly nurturing a fragile new life.

The snow leopard cub had its fluffy front paws wrapped tightly around the bottle, sucking with all its might. A soft, satisfied purr vibrated in its throat. It was curled into the crook of Barry’s muscular arm, looking utterly dependent and clingy.

Barry, however, was scowling, his expression a mix of annoyance and concentration. "You clingy little thing. Stop kneading me with your claws."

The sheer contrast of the scene left Nancy frozen in place. She stared in disbelief, eventually tugging on Jorgan’s sleeve and whispering, "What is happening? Is your boss moonlighting as a charity volunteer? I never pegged him for the... well, the nurturing type."

It wasn't as if Barry needed an internship certificate from the Loren Zoo!

Standing beside her, Jorgan was equally stunned by the sight of his CEO playing nanny. He struggled to maintain his professional composure, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his internal shock. The cold, ruthless executive was currently bottle-feeding a kitten.

Jorgan used every ounce of his self-restraint to keep from pulling out his phone to record this moment. It would have caused a sensation throughout the entire corporate group, but he wasn't quite ready to lose his high-paying job.

Jorgan adjusted his glasses and let out a dry cough. "It happened like this: Star insisted on coming over to play this afternoon. He really wanted to see the cub..."

Nancy remembered now. On the night of the birth, Star had shown an intense interest in the soft little cub, wagging his tail incessantly by the incubator. That night, Nancy had told Star that if he liked the cub, he could come by anytime to watch it grow.

In zoos, even when they are well-fed, leopards can sometimes become depressed or "emo." Without the challenges of the wild, they easily grow bored or anxious, often developing repetitive behaviors like pacing. To combat this, many zoos have come up with an adorable solution: assigning the leopard a "companion dog."

Leopards are naturally intelligent and quick learners, and a trained dog makes for a perfect partner to help them adjust to life and keep them active. A dog’s boundless energy and love for play can successfully ignite a leopard’s natural instincts. The two often become inseparable roommates—sleeping together, grooming each other, and chasing one another around. This cross-species friendship not only relieves the leopard’s stress but improves the physical and mental health of both animals.

Still, Nancy couldn't connect the dots. A dog and a leopard being friends was one thing, but what did that have to do with Barry feeding it?

"Star came to play with the cub. And then what?"

Jorgan explained, "The cub refused to let go of the Boss. It kept clinging to his pant leg."

"The keepers think it’s because the Boss helped deliver the cub that night. His was the first scent the cub recognized, and it seems to have developed a primal attachment to him."

Just then, a keeper rushed over. "Ms. Nancy, thank heaven you’re back! Please, go and see if you can convince the little leopard to 'release' the Boss. It won't touch the goat milk formula I give it; it insists on being fed by him. We can't let this become a habit!"

After all, the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation was not exactly a "keeper" the Loren Zoo could afford to hire!

The realization hit Nancy all at once. Because of the difficult birth, the mother leopard had been in recovery and hadn't been able to bond with her cub.

So, the little cub had... mistaken Barry for its mother?

Nancy couldn't help herself. She let out a sudden, loud snort of laughter.