Guo Wenjie and his daughter walk around their private zoo in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. Screenshot from Sina Weibo

A young girl's love of animals has inspired her father to quit his well-paying job and open a private petting zoo in East China's Jiangsu Province that is now home to some 300 creatures, some of which have been injured, abandoned or abused.  

"My daughter's name is 'Happy,' so we named our zoo that too," said Guo Wenjie in a video posted by Pear Video. 

Guo said he quit his job with a state-run company that had provided a stable, comfortable life without telling his wife.  

"We didn't even have money to pay our daughter's kindergarten fees," Guo's wife said in the video. "I couldn't stop him as my daughter also loved the plan," she said with a faint chuckle. 

The video didn't mention how the family sustains the zoo or if it is open to paying customers, but suggests other family members may be investing in the zoo. The video shows numerous well-built cages and pathways with signs pointing to different sections of the zoo and a fruit picking field.  

So far, Guo has collected 30 rarely seen species including a Shetland pony, a Toggenburg goat and Serama chickens. The video also shows numerous dogs and puppies, an abandoned 100-kilogram pet pig and an injured fox. 

"I hope my daughter's wedding will be held at our zoo. Our dogs will deliver her wedding ring to her groom," said Guo. "If the day really comes I think I'll be very emotional."

Global Times