Abstract：The construction of ecological civilisation requires reflection on the human view of nature and the ethical connection between humans and nature. Urban nature is a space of possibilities for human-nonhuman relationships. Given this, this paper constructs a ternary analytical framework of space, relationship and action to explore the concrete manifestations of multidimensional human-animal relationships in the urban zoo and the forming mechanisms of caring practices from the perspective of care. Using the example of Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, and based on qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and NVivo text analysis, two main findings emerged. First, human-nature interactions and caring relationships need to be conditioned by spatial encounters, and the zoo provides multi-situational encounters. Second, caring relationships lead to demonstrative, responsive and potential caring acts; the spatial encounters, relational connections and caring acts between humans, animals and other natural substances constitute the caring practices for urban nature, thereby further shaping urban natural spaces. In addition, through the cultivation of caring relationships and the demonstration of caring acts, the zoo contributes to the flow of broader social concerns and caring nature practices. This paper reveals the conditions, mechanisms and influences of residents' caring practices for urban nature, infiltrating caring from a nature-managementoriented concept into the everyday practice of individuals, and making caring practices for nature the type of practice that can be more potential in the construction of human-nature relations.
