Rajesh, getting to his feet. ‘When Harriet wakes up she needs to feel at home, so are you ready to help?’
Joe and Aesha nodded.
‘We’ve removed all distractions, and now there’s something else we need to do,’ Rajesh continued.
He walked over to one of the men, who was holding four buckets. He took two of the buckets and returned with them to a puzzled-looking Joe and Aesha.
‘Would you like to spread this around for me? It will reassure Harriet that there are other rhinos in the vicinity.’
Rajesh waited for their reaction. The buckets were full of rhino dung.
Joe chuckled. ‘It won’t be the first time we’ve had to deal with poo,’ he said, remembering when he and Aesha had helped train dogs to identify tiger scat in eastern Russia.
Aesha pulled a face. ‘I’m glad I don’t need to be surrounded by dung to feel at home,’ she remarked as, rather disgustedly, she took hold of a bucket.
‘Just general mess in your case,’ said Peter, taking a quick photograph of them as they stood there with their buckets.
‘You’re not funny, Dad,’ Aesha replied scornfully.
Rajesh told them exactly what he wanted them to do, asked them to be quick and then knelt down with Harriet to check her pulse again.
Aesha set about tipping small piles of dung next to the rhino. Joe, feeling important despite the job he had been tasked with, laid a trail leading towards the reserve, helped by Jack and one of the other men.
‘I’ve done a lot of strange things in my life,’ Jack said, ‘but this one takes some beating.’
‘I bet you haven’t put your arm up a cow’s bottom like Mum has to,’ Joe said, tipping out the last of the dung.
‘No, and I think I’ll pass on that.’ Jack laughed. ‘All done here,’ he called back to Rajesh.
‘Good job,’ Rajesh replied. ‘It’s nearly time to bring Harriet round, so all of you need to move well out of sight.’
The Brook family and Jack hurried to where the truck was parked and climbed into the back of it. Peter clambered on to the roof with his equipment, and prepared to take a video of Harriet’s escape to freedom.
From their cover, Joe watched as Rajesh leant over the comatose rhino and administered an antidote to the tranquilliser. The rest of the men stood by, ready to act as soon as she made any sign of movement.
Harriet’s ears twitched first, and then one of her legs shook. Rajesh laid a cloth over her face, which Binti explained to Aesha and Joe was to prevent her from trying to bolt the minute she was upright.
‘If she can’t see, she’ll stay still,’ Binti said.
Aided by the men, the rhino climbed unsteadily to her feet, at which point they fled into the bushes, leaving Rajesh on his own. As soon as everyone was hidden, the biologist pulled the cloth from Harriet’s face and walked backwards away from her.
Harriet gazed uncertainly at the unfamiliar world that opened up in front of her, her tiny eyes trying to find their focus, her ears swivelling to and fro.
‘The poor thing is wondering where on earth she is,’ whispered Aesha.
‘Can you imagine being dumped in the middle of nowhere, waking up as if from a dream and finding yourself completely on your own?’ said Jack.
‘I hope she’ll learn to love her new home and thrive here,’ said Rajesh, coming over to join them.
After a few moments, Harriet seemed to catch the scent of a pile of rhino droppings. She plodded over, lowered her head towards them, and then trotted on to another pile and another.
‘She’s going in the right direction,’ whispered Joe. ‘She’s following our poo trail!’
‘She’s grazing on some grass now,’ said Rajesh. ‘That’s a good sign. She wouldn’t be doing that if she wasn’t relaxed.’
Joe was delighted at the part he had played in Harriet’s release. He linked arms with his mother. ‘We’ve had the most amazing rhino adventures, haven’t we, Mum?’
Chapter 15
They continued to watch Harriet for well over an hour.
Joe and Aesha nodded.
‘We’ve removed all distractions, and now there’s something else we need to do,’ Rajesh continued.
He walked over to one of the men, who was holding four buckets. He took two of the buckets and returned with them to a puzzled-looking Joe and Aesha.
‘Would you like to spread this around for me? It will reassure Harriet that there are other rhinos in the vicinity.’
Rajesh waited for their reaction. The buckets were full of rhino dung.
Joe chuckled. ‘It won’t be the first time we’ve had to deal with poo,’ he said, remembering when he and Aesha had helped train dogs to identify tiger scat in eastern Russia.
Aesha pulled a face. ‘I’m glad I don’t need to be surrounded by dung to feel at home,’ she remarked as, rather disgustedly, she took hold of a bucket.
‘Just general mess in your case,’ said Peter, taking a quick photograph of them as they stood there with their buckets.
‘You’re not funny, Dad,’ Aesha replied scornfully.
Rajesh told them exactly what he wanted them to do, asked them to be quick and then knelt down with Harriet to check her pulse again.
Aesha set about tipping small piles of dung next to the rhino. Joe, feeling important despite the job he had been tasked with, laid a trail leading towards the reserve, helped by Jack and one of the other men.
‘I’ve done a lot of strange things in my life,’ Jack said, ‘but this one takes some beating.’
‘I bet you haven’t put your arm up a cow’s bottom like Mum has to,’ Joe said, tipping out the last of the dung.
‘No, and I think I’ll pass on that.’ Jack laughed. ‘All done here,’ he called back to Rajesh.
‘Good job,’ Rajesh replied. ‘It’s nearly time to bring Harriet round, so all of you need to move well out of sight.’
The Brook family and Jack hurried to where the truck was parked and climbed into the back of it. Peter clambered on to the roof with his equipment, and prepared to take a video of Harriet’s escape to freedom.
From their cover, Joe watched as Rajesh leant over the comatose rhino and administered an antidote to the tranquilliser. The rest of the men stood by, ready to act as soon as she made any sign of movement.
Harriet’s ears twitched first, and then one of her legs shook. Rajesh laid a cloth over her face, which Binti explained to Aesha and Joe was to prevent her from trying to bolt the minute she was upright.
‘If she can’t see, she’ll stay still,’ Binti said.
Aided by the men, the rhino climbed unsteadily to her feet, at which point they fled into the bushes, leaving Rajesh on his own. As soon as everyone was hidden, the biologist pulled the cloth from Harriet’s face and walked backwards away from her.
Harriet gazed uncertainly at the unfamiliar world that opened up in front of her, her tiny eyes trying to find their focus, her ears swivelling to and fro.
‘The poor thing is wondering where on earth she is,’ whispered Aesha.
‘Can you imagine being dumped in the middle of nowhere, waking up as if from a dream and finding yourself completely on your own?’ said Jack.
‘I hope she’ll learn to love her new home and thrive here,’ said Rajesh, coming over to join them.
After a few moments, Harriet seemed to catch the scent of a pile of rhino droppings. She plodded over, lowered her head towards them, and then trotted on to another pile and another.
‘She’s going in the right direction,’ whispered Joe. ‘She’s following our poo trail!’
‘She’s grazing on some grass now,’ said Rajesh. ‘That’s a good sign. She wouldn’t be doing that if she wasn’t relaxed.’
Joe was delighted at the part he had played in Harriet’s release. He linked arms with his mother. ‘We’ve had the most amazing rhino adventures, haven’t we, Mum?’
Chapter 15
They continued to watch Harriet for well over an hour.
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