She took her time, checking out every last fraction of the area around the trail of dung, sniffing at the vegetation and foraging among the branches of low trees. With every step, she moved further away from her spectators and deeper into the park.
And then, suddenly, without any warning, she bolted. One minute she was eating, the next she was off, almost as if something had frightened her and she couldn’t wait to get away from it. The last they saw of her was her ample rump disappearing through a dense row of bushes.
‘That’s a great last photo I’ve just taken,’ Peter said, smiling.
‘Let’s hope Harriet meets the rhino of her dreams, produces healthy offspring and lives to a ripe old age,’ said Binti.
‘You’re such a romantic.’ Peter laughed.
‘Poachers had better not find her,’ said Joe.
‘She’s got the best of chances,’ said Rajesh. ‘And tomorrow it will be Kojo’s turn to run free, but in a different part of the reserve.’
Joe wished he could be there too, as they said their goodbyes to Jack and Rajesh and his team, until he remembered that his family was going to Mzima Springs to see the crocodiles and hippos.
I can’t believe how many different things we’ve done and places we’ve been and animals we’ve seen already, and the trip isn’t over yet!
Back at the lodge that evening, the Brook family reflected upon their experiences while they watched the animals coming and going from the waterhole.
‘This beats television, don’t you think?’ said Peter.
‘I can’t stop looking around,’ said Joe. ‘You just never know what’s going to arrive next.’
‘I’m half-expecting a rhino to appear,’ said Aesha.
‘As long as it’s not Harriet!’ Joe exclaimed.
‘If she does appear, she’ll definitely take the prize for being the fastest animal on earth!’ Binti laughed.
‘Rhinos are surprisingly quick for such a large animal,’ said Peter. ‘Our Harriet galloped off like a racehorse!’
‘I wonder what will happen to our Rombo,’ said Joe. ‘I can’t wait to read the first newsletter about him. I hope he can be rehabilitated eventually, too.’
‘Will we be able to visit him again before he leaves the orphanage?’ Aesha asked.
Binti smiled at her. ‘Have you changed your mind about rhinos?’
Aesha shrugged. ‘I still think they look grumpy,’ she said, ‘and I never want to be attacked by one again, but they’re sort of beautiful in their own way, and there’s nothing else like them.’
‘A bit like my daughter, then.’ Peter chuckled, which earned a snort of disdain from Aesha.
All of a sudden Joe remembered that they hadn’t seen a leopard. He stared at the waterhole, willing one to appear.
‘We haven’t seen a leopard,’ he said, voicing his disappointment. ‘Do you think we might tomorrow?’
‘Who knows?’ said Binti. ‘That’s what’s so marvellous about being here. It’s gloriously unpredictable and that’s how life in the wild should be. It’s easy to forget that the animals out there are fighting for their survival. Nobody is standing round the corner with a bag of goodies to feed them with, and if they don’t show up to order then that’s what makes it all the more exciting when they do appear.’
‘If you look round now,’ Peter added, ‘you might not see a leopard, but there’s something very special heading in your direction.’
Joe spun round to see a vervet monkey scooting along the balcony towards him. Before he knew what was happening, the monkey snatched a piece of bread from his plate and ran off, shrieking triumphantly.
‘You see what I mean?’ Binti laughed. ‘It’s gloriously unpredictable, and we’ve been very, very lucky to see what we’ve seen.’
Joe nodded. ‘And there’s still more to come.’
Zoological Society of London
ZSL London Zoo is a very famous part of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
For almost two hundred years, we have been working tirelessly
And then, suddenly, without any warning, she bolted. One minute she was eating, the next she was off, almost as if something had frightened her and she couldn’t wait to get away from it. The last they saw of her was her ample rump disappearing through a dense row of bushes.
‘That’s a great last photo I’ve just taken,’ Peter said, smiling.
‘Let’s hope Harriet meets the rhino of her dreams, produces healthy offspring and lives to a ripe old age,’ said Binti.
‘You’re such a romantic.’ Peter laughed.
‘Poachers had better not find her,’ said Joe.
‘She’s got the best of chances,’ said Rajesh. ‘And tomorrow it will be Kojo’s turn to run free, but in a different part of the reserve.’
Joe wished he could be there too, as they said their goodbyes to Jack and Rajesh and his team, until he remembered that his family was going to Mzima Springs to see the crocodiles and hippos.
I can’t believe how many different things we’ve done and places we’ve been and animals we’ve seen already, and the trip isn’t over yet!
Back at the lodge that evening, the Brook family reflected upon their experiences while they watched the animals coming and going from the waterhole.
‘This beats television, don’t you think?’ said Peter.
‘I can’t stop looking around,’ said Joe. ‘You just never know what’s going to arrive next.’
‘I’m half-expecting a rhino to appear,’ said Aesha.
‘As long as it’s not Harriet!’ Joe exclaimed.
‘If she does appear, she’ll definitely take the prize for being the fastest animal on earth!’ Binti laughed.
‘Rhinos are surprisingly quick for such a large animal,’ said Peter. ‘Our Harriet galloped off like a racehorse!’
‘I wonder what will happen to our Rombo,’ said Joe. ‘I can’t wait to read the first newsletter about him. I hope he can be rehabilitated eventually, too.’
‘Will we be able to visit him again before he leaves the orphanage?’ Aesha asked.
Binti smiled at her. ‘Have you changed your mind about rhinos?’
Aesha shrugged. ‘I still think they look grumpy,’ she said, ‘and I never want to be attacked by one again, but they’re sort of beautiful in their own way, and there’s nothing else like them.’
‘A bit like my daughter, then.’ Peter chuckled, which earned a snort of disdain from Aesha.
All of a sudden Joe remembered that they hadn’t seen a leopard. He stared at the waterhole, willing one to appear.
‘We haven’t seen a leopard,’ he said, voicing his disappointment. ‘Do you think we might tomorrow?’
‘Who knows?’ said Binti. ‘That’s what’s so marvellous about being here. It’s gloriously unpredictable and that’s how life in the wild should be. It’s easy to forget that the animals out there are fighting for their survival. Nobody is standing round the corner with a bag of goodies to feed them with, and if they don’t show up to order then that’s what makes it all the more exciting when they do appear.’
‘If you look round now,’ Peter added, ‘you might not see a leopard, but there’s something very special heading in your direction.’
Joe spun round to see a vervet monkey scooting along the balcony towards him. Before he knew what was happening, the monkey snatched a piece of bread from his plate and ran off, shrieking triumphantly.
‘You see what I mean?’ Binti laughed. ‘It’s gloriously unpredictable, and we’ve been very, very lucky to see what we’ve seen.’
Joe nodded. ‘And there’s still more to come.’
Zoological Society of London
ZSL London Zoo is a very famous part of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
For almost two hundred years, we have been working tirelessly
Similar Books
