appear,’ the fieldworker told him. ‘You come here for a few days and – like magic – a cub we’ve never seen before arrives on our doorstep.’
Joe grinned. ‘Perhaps it was because I wanted to see one so badly,’ he said.
‘And you think we don’t!’ the fieldworker replied.
The person Joe really wanted to sign his cast was Artem.
‘So you’ve decided that walruses aren’t so bad after all.’ Peter grinned when Joe asked if he could meet up with him before they went back to England.
‘He’s cool,’ said Joe.
He was delighted therefore when Iona called by later that day with Artem and Boris.
‘Artem is a shy man and doesn’t like a fuss,’ said Iona, ‘but he wants to say goodbye.’
Boris came bounding over to Joe, tail wagging furiously, but he sat obediently at a sharp word from his master.
‘He’s learning quickly,’ remarked Joe.
‘Leg come good?’ Artem asked.
Joe nodded and thanked him. ‘You saved my life,’ he said.
Artem shrugged his shoulders. ‘Not me,’ he said. ‘Boris.’
‘The tiger is already making good progress,’ Iona informed Joe. ‘He was very thin and undernourished, but after a few good meals he’ll be fine. Our main concern is that if his mother is no longer in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, we may never know what happened to her.’
‘So will the poor cub be all on his own when you release him?’ Joe asked.
‘Tigers are solitary animals once they’re adults,’ Iona replied. ‘Unfortunately this cub is going to be on his own sooner than most, but we won’t release him until he’s ready. And we’re very lucky to have your mother here for another three weeks, because she’ll be helping the young vets to monitor his progress.’
Once again, Joe felt proud of his mother and the important work she did.
‘When she leaves, please will you let us know how he gets on?’ Joe begged.
‘Of course,’ Iona reassured him. ‘And there’s one more thing. The cub needs a name.’
Joe’s heart skipped a beat . Are they going to let me name him?
‘You tell him, Artem,’ said Iona.
Joe held his breath and waited for Artem to speak.
‘Tiger name – we call him . . . Joe,’ Artem announced.
Joe couldn’t believe his ears. Not only had he found a tiger in the wild, but the tiger had been named after him! He didn’t think it was possible to feel happier and he would have jumped for joy if he could.
‘Thank you!’ he cried. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’
Just as Iona and Artem made to leave, Joe remembered why he had wanted to see Artem in the first place.
‘Please will you sign my cast before you go?’ he asked, holding out a pen.
A flicker of a smile lit up Artem’s normally sombre face when he took the pen, before it disappeared again as he concentrated on the job in hand. While he was writing, Joe made a big fuss of Boris, and was reminded that Foggy would be waiting to greet them upon their return; Foggy, who had a nose for biscuits and not a lot else. Joe was looking forward to seeing him.
As soon as they had thanked Artem once more and said their goodbyes, Joe asked Iona what he had written.
‘ Come back soon. Your friend, the Walrus!? ’ Iona read. ‘I don’t know what he means. Do you?’
Joe blushed bright red. ‘It’s a secret.’
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 to provide hope and a home to thousands of animals.
And it’s not just the animals at ZSL’s Zoos in London and Whipsnade that we are caring for. Our conservationists are working in more than 50 countries to help protect animals in the wild.
In Russia, Bangladesh and Indonesia we are fighting to save the majestic and highly endangered tiger through vital conservation projects.
But all of this wouldn’t be possible without your help. As a charity we rely entirely on the
Joe grinned. ‘Perhaps it was because I wanted to see one so badly,’ he said.
‘And you think we don’t!’ the fieldworker replied.
The person Joe really wanted to sign his cast was Artem.
‘So you’ve decided that walruses aren’t so bad after all.’ Peter grinned when Joe asked if he could meet up with him before they went back to England.
‘He’s cool,’ said Joe.
He was delighted therefore when Iona called by later that day with Artem and Boris.
‘Artem is a shy man and doesn’t like a fuss,’ said Iona, ‘but he wants to say goodbye.’
Boris came bounding over to Joe, tail wagging furiously, but he sat obediently at a sharp word from his master.
‘He’s learning quickly,’ remarked Joe.
‘Leg come good?’ Artem asked.
Joe nodded and thanked him. ‘You saved my life,’ he said.
Artem shrugged his shoulders. ‘Not me,’ he said. ‘Boris.’
‘The tiger is already making good progress,’ Iona informed Joe. ‘He was very thin and undernourished, but after a few good meals he’ll be fine. Our main concern is that if his mother is no longer in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, we may never know what happened to her.’
‘So will the poor cub be all on his own when you release him?’ Joe asked.
‘Tigers are solitary animals once they’re adults,’ Iona replied. ‘Unfortunately this cub is going to be on his own sooner than most, but we won’t release him until he’s ready. And we’re very lucky to have your mother here for another three weeks, because she’ll be helping the young vets to monitor his progress.’
Once again, Joe felt proud of his mother and the important work she did.
‘When she leaves, please will you let us know how he gets on?’ Joe begged.
‘Of course,’ Iona reassured him. ‘And there’s one more thing. The cub needs a name.’
Joe’s heart skipped a beat . Are they going to let me name him?
‘You tell him, Artem,’ said Iona.
Joe held his breath and waited for Artem to speak.
‘Tiger name – we call him . . . Joe,’ Artem announced.
Joe couldn’t believe his ears. Not only had he found a tiger in the wild, but the tiger had been named after him! He didn’t think it was possible to feel happier and he would have jumped for joy if he could.
‘Thank you!’ he cried. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’
Just as Iona and Artem made to leave, Joe remembered why he had wanted to see Artem in the first place.
‘Please will you sign my cast before you go?’ he asked, holding out a pen.
A flicker of a smile lit up Artem’s normally sombre face when he took the pen, before it disappeared again as he concentrated on the job in hand. While he was writing, Joe made a big fuss of Boris, and was reminded that Foggy would be waiting to greet them upon their return; Foggy, who had a nose for biscuits and not a lot else. Joe was looking forward to seeing him.
As soon as they had thanked Artem once more and said their goodbyes, Joe asked Iona what he had written.
‘ Come back soon. Your friend, the Walrus!? ’ Iona read. ‘I don’t know what he means. Do you?’
Joe blushed bright red. ‘It’s a secret.’
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 to provide hope and a home to thousands of animals.
And it’s not just the animals at ZSL’s Zoos in London and Whipsnade that we are caring for. Our conservationists are working in more than 50 countries to help protect animals in the wild.
In Russia, Bangladesh and Indonesia we are fighting to save the majestic and highly endangered tiger through vital conservation projects.
But all of this wouldn’t be possible without your help. As a charity we rely entirely on the
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