As soon as they were settled in the Jeep, she gave the team the answer. “The aardvark is also called an earth pig,” she explained, avoiding eye contact as usual. “But it isn’t related to pigs at all. It just has a snout like a pig and can dig really well.” She was relieved that her teammates no longer looked at her like she was some wildlife weirdo when she offered answers and extra facts. But she sometimes still felt like one.
After they had left the tourist center, Mari recommended they drive toward the Mara River.
“Which way is that?” Sage asked.
“Check the map,” Russell suggested. “It’s in the outside pocket of my backpack.”
Sage stretched to reach into the back of the Jeep. After a sequence of zipping and shuffling, she sat down in her seat again.
“Got it,” she announced. “So why are we headed for the river? All we need is a humble aardvark. Am I right?”
Mari noticed a strange look in her friend’s eyes. “I just think we’ll end up at the river at some point anyway,” she answered.
“Mari, you’re good. We all know that. But can you really predict what the next clues will be?”
Mari didn’t want to have to explain herself to Sage. Of course she couldn’t be certain, but she had watched countless nature programs on the Serengeti. If Sage had done the same, then she would also suspect that at least one clue would involve one of the most famous sights in all of nature: the epic wildebeest river crossing. Thousands upon thousands of the hooved beasts trekked over the dry plains of the Serengeti savanna, and then crossed the Mara River to reach the rain-drenched plains in Kenya. Even on Mari’s small bedroom TV it looked amazing, and it happened every year at this time.
“You’re right,” she said with a shrug. “I can’t predict it. It was just a hunch.”
“But it couldn’t hurt, right?” Russell said. “We could head that way while we’re trying to answer the first clue.”
“Sure, we can do that,” Sage answered, an edge to her voice. “But we have to focus on what we know we need to find. And that’s the first clue.” Over her shoulder, Mari noticed Sage giving Dev a long look. Since when did Sage speak in riddles? And since when did she and Dev share knowing glances?
“So where am I going?” Javier called from the front seat.
“Toward the river,” Sage replied.
“It’s northwest from here,” Dev added. He held the team’s GPS in one hand and the map in the other.
“Everyone grab binoculars,” Sage announced. “We’re on aardvark watch.”
Mari took a deep breath and nibbled her upper lip, noting the sun’s position in the sky. “Technically, we’re on aardvark-burrow watch,” she said. “Aardvarks are nocturnal, so they probably won’t be out for at least an hour or two, unless we’re super lucky.”
“What will a burrow look like?” Dev asked.
“Just a large hole in the ground, one big enough for a 100-pound animal.” She lifted a pair of binoculars and began to search.
The others untangled the binocular straps and got to work, too. Javier drove on across the dry, expansive savanna at a steady pace. They wound around patches of thorny bushes and flat-topped trees, their green leaves contrasting with the golden, brittle grass. “Let me know when you want to stop,” he called back to them, but no one said anything for a long time.
“I think I see one!” Dev yelled after a while. “Over there.”
Mari swung around to focus her binoculars where Dev indicated. Javier pulled the Jeep to a stop. Mari soon realized, that for some reason, she was the only one looking at the potential burrow. Everyone else was looking at her. “Okay,” she said. “We should check it out.”
They left their doors open and hurried over to the hole.
“I don’t know if we’re going to find what we’re looking for here,” Mari said, circling the burrow.
“It’s big enough,” Dev said. “I could climb down there.”
“Yes, it is big enough,” Mari agreed. “But there are lots of droppings scattered around. Those are too small to be an aardvark’s. Something else might be living here now.”
Mari hadn’t expected it to be easy. She knew aardvarks constantly abandon old burrows, and new animals move in. The pig-snouted insect eaters had amazing claws, so they were expert diggers. It wasn’t hard for them to build a new underground home.
“But it probably was once an aardvark burrow, so maybe there’s another one around here—with an actual aardvark in it,” Mari said.
“It makes more sense to look from the ground anyway,” Sage said. “It was too hard to spot holes from the Jeep.”
Mari knew Sage was right, but it somehow felt like the team leader was criticizing her. She noticed Russell waving her down. He was on the other side of a cluster of acacia trees, standing over something that looked at first like an old, dead tree trunk. But it wasn’t that at all.
“Is this what I think it is?” he asked as soon as Mari arrived.
“Yeah. It’s a good sign,” she said in a near whisper. She examined the shafts of mud that rose from the ground. “If there are termites here, there’s a good chance there’s an aardvark as well.” Mari could easily picture an aardvark lumbering up to the mound, nose to the ground. Its rounded back, long ears, and tail—thick like a kangaroo’s—gave it an unmistakable silhouette. The aardvark’s strong sense of smell could sniff out dinner, even when it was five feet below ground. Then, the aardvark would dig. Its sticky tongue captured the insects, and the aardvark swallowed them whole.
“I think I found another burrow,” Sage called out, her voice cutting the stillness. “And I think I see a snout. Dev, get over here now!”
Dev took off in Sage’s direction at once, his long legs striding through the tall grass. But, as soon as he did, a low thrum began to carry over the hot, flat terrain. It grew louder with each second. A trail of dust rose into the air and hung there. Mari lifted her binoculars and traced the dirty cloud to its source.
It was Team Green.
CREATURE FEATURE
AFRICAN TERMITE
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Macrotermes michaelseni
TYPE: insect
RANGE: African forests and grasslands
FOOD: fungus that grows on decomposing plants
Like many insects, termites live in colonies. Their society is very organized, and termites are born with one of three jobs.
Workers are responsible for building and maintaining the nest, finding food and water, and carrying it to the nest.
Soldiers protect the nest from intruders.
The queen and king make and fertilize eggs. Each colony has one of each.
To build the nest, workers create a complex system of tunnels underground. They also construct shafts that rise high above the ground—up to 30 feet. This is the part of the nest that makes up the mound. The shafts let air flow in and out and help keep the nest at an even temperature. Workers mine mud for the shafts from deep underground and stick it together with saliva.
There are species of termites that devour houses; they are destructive pests. But termites in the wild serve a purpose. The digging of African termites changes the makeup and texture of the soil, allowing different kinds of plants to grow. The termite mound can also provide a home to various animals or serve as a perch. Cheetahs in particular sit on mounds to get a better view.
“What is that sound?” Sage yelled, hands on her hips as she squinted against the sun. “It scared the aardvark away. Dev didn’t even get to take a shot!”
Mari looked at Russell. She knew they were both thinking the same thing. The sound of a low, rumbling motor might frighten an aardvark, but so would the loud yell of a human being.
“Is that Team Green?” Sage asked, her tone full of disgust. Sage gave Dev a penetrating glance. “What are the chances?”
“But this is good,” Russell said. “If we can see them, it means we’re not far behind. We just have to get that aardvark shot.”
Dev nodded, briefly
making eye contact with Sage. “That’s all we need to do,” he agreed.
Mari had cased the aardvark burrow and found another set of holes many feet away. “We should split up, so he doesn’t sneak out one of the other entrances.”
“Or exits,” Dev said. Mari cracked a smile. Dev had not been able to keep himself from joking during the first two legs of the race, but he’d been much quieter, more serious, lately.
“Russell, you go over there,” Sage directed. “Mari, you take the far hole, and Dev and I will watch from here.”
Sage’s plan made sense, so Mari took her post, but before they separated, she suggested that they try to be quiet. “He won’t come out if he hears us.” The others nodded and went to their lookout spots. Javier left the Jeep and settled in the shade under one of the few trees. “I’ll keep an eye out for other wildlife,” he said. “The kind we want to avoid.”
After a short while, Sage came over to Mari’s spot. She kneeled down and looked out at the horizon. “So, we’re assuming Team Green was heading to the next clue, right?”
“I guess so,” Mari whispered. “They weren’t sitting around an aardvark burrow, that’s for sure.”
“But how did they get a shot of a nocturnal animal when it’s not dark?” Sage wondered out loud. “Did they get super lucky?”
Mari shrugged. “Maybe.” Sage had repeated the exact phrase Mari had used earlier: super lucky.
Sometimes aardvarks did come out during the middle of the day, but it wasn’t typical. They usually waited until the sun ducked lower in the sky, and the temperature dropped lower, too.
“Is there anything we can do to lure them out?”
“Do you have some Scent of Insect spray?” Mari asked. “Anything else would probably violate the Wild Life creed. You know, the rule that says we can’t mess with the natural course of things?”
Sage looked thoughtful. “Listen, Mari.” Sage paused to take a deep breath. “I want to tell you about something, but I don’t want you to get upset.” She paused again. Mari dropped her eyes and focused on the blade of grass in her hand. It was so dry it felt thin and fragile. “I found something in Russell’s backpack. I wasn’t looking for it, I swear. But I think he might be cheating.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Mari answered right away. She looped the grass into a knot.
“I know it sounds crazy, but when he told me to get the map, I found this,” Sage continued. She opened her hand. Inside was a tiny metal chip. It looked battered, like someone had stepped on it. “Dev said it’s some kind of tracking device. It might explain how Team Green keeps showing up wherever we are.”
“He’d never cheat,” Mari said. “I know he’s known those guys longer than he’s known us, but that’s not Russell. I know it isn’t. Just ask him.”
“We can’t,” Sage said. “Not yet. And you have to promise me you won’t say anything.”
Mari dragged her bottom teeth across her top lip several times before looking up at Sage. “Okay,” she agreed. “I promise.”
“Good,” Sage said. She rested her hand on Mari’s shoulder before walking away and heading back to Dev.
Mari sighed. At least she now knew why Sage and Dev were acting strange, but she had a bad feeling about that chip. She looked over to where Russell was sitting, diligently watching the aardvark hole. Mari told herself that no matter what Sage had found, Russell was on their side. And that’s when he stood up and silently waved both arms back and forth, like he was directing a huge airplane.
“Dev!” Mari whispered, pointing.
Dev looked up and immediately understood. He was the only one with an ancam, after all. Stealthy like a savanna ninja, Dev tiptoed over to Russell’s side and snapped a shot. Moments later, the two boys celebrated.
“Yes!” Dev shouted, loud enough for every aardvark in a five-mile radius to hear. He and Russell marched over to the girls chanting, “Clue Number Two, Clue Number Two.”
Splish, splash,
They are right in the path.
The strongest jaws on the planet
Stop the greatest migration on land
With one mighty, murderous
Snap!
“It sounds gruesome,” Russell said after they had all finished reading the message. His whole face turned down in a frown.
Dev passed the ancam on, so everyone could review the clue one more time. But Mari stepped away from the group. She didn’t need more hints. As soon as she had read the first line, Mari knew, just knew, the clue would be about the Mara River. It made sense. The Wild Life teams’ visit to the savanna fell during the peak season for the wildebeest to be heading north. The scruffy-bearded, skinny-legged, hooved beasts were leaving the dusty plains of the Serengeti in search of greener pastures. It was the greatest migration on land, but they still had to cross the water of the Mara River. That was the splish splash at the start of the clue. And the snap at the end was for the crocodiles that would be waiting, ready to munch on a meal.
CREATURE FEATURE
WILDEBEEST
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Connochaetes taurinus
TYPE: mammal
RANGE: on open plains and acacia woodlands in Southern Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya
FOOD: grasses
Also called the gnu (pronounced new or g-new), the wildebeest boasts the current record for the largest mammal migration. Over 1.5 million wildebeest trek from the Serengeti plains, across the Mara River, and into Kenya each year.
The herds are almost always on the move, so calves must learn to walk within minutes of being born. They can keep up with the full-grown wildebeests when they are only a few days old. Most calves are born at the end of the herd’s migration cycle, when they have returned to the Serengeti. Prime predators anxiously await the herd’s arrival, instinctively knowing that there will be vulnerable young wildebeest to target.
While they resemble the cow family, wildebeest are antelopes.
“You’re going to say, ‘I told you so.’ ”
“Not about this,” Mari replied, but she didn’t turn around to look Sage in the eye. Mari thought her team had found a rhythm, an understanding. How could Sage and Dev doubt Russell? And why wouldn’t they talk to him about it? “I was pretty sure they’d ask something about the wildebeest migration,” Mari admitted, forcing her other thoughts aside. “But I didn’t know the answer would be the crocodile. That was a decent twist.”
They were now driving toward the river, in the direction Mari had originally suggested. She sat behind Javier, next to Russell. Dev and Sage were in the back. Normally she liked the downtime between the contest tasks, but not today. There was a tightness in her chest, and it was spreading into her arms. She suddenly wanted to win The Wild Life. It would be the best way to prove to Sage and Dev that they were wrong.
It wasn’t hard to distract herself. All she had to do was look at the landscape. It felt almost familiar. Every nature show had an episode on the great grasslands. Africa’s wide, open spaces were a constant display of the predator’s power. Great cats, hyenas, and jackals were designed for the hunt. But Mari knew the prey—the gazelles, zebras, and wildebeest—had their own strengths. The two forces were always pitted against each other in a battle of dinner and death.
The Jeep didn’t slow down as they passed a herd of Thomson’s gazelles grazing on the flat terrain. The small antelopes with the bold black stripe across their sides looked elegant, even when snacking on grass, but Mari knew they were even more graceful when they were on the move. With their speed and bounding leaps, they were fast enough to outrun predators. And, on the open plains, they could easily spot danger.
As Team Red covered the miles, more bushes sprouted in clumps; more trees offered restful shade. “We’re coming up on a visitor’s center.” Javier located the members of Team Red in the rearview mirror. “We should make a quick pit stop. The river isn’t far ahead, and who knows where we’ll head after that.”
“I’m going first,” Russell said as they pulled into
the parking lot lined with canopy-covered picnic tables. He vaulted over the side of the Jeep and jogged to the door of the visitor’s center.
“Mari?” Sage asked.
“Go ahead,” Mari answered. As soon as Sage was inside the small, thatched-roof building, Mari jumped at her chance. She turned to directly face Dev. “Dev, you know there’s no way Russell is cheating, right?”
“Sage told you?” Dev sounded surprised.
Mari nodded. “She showed me the chip.”
“Yeah,” Dev answered. “Did you see how it was smashed? I think he thinks he dismantled it, but I’m guessing it still works. Team Green probably planted it, and Russell discovered what they did but didn’t want to turn them in.”
This scenario made a lot more sense to Mari. “How do we know it was Team Green?”
“We don’t, but they kept showing up one step behind us in the Amazon. Remember?”
“Remember what?”
Mari flinched. “Russell! You can’t sneak up on people like that!” She gave him a playful shove. “Besides—”
“Your turn, Mari,” Sage said as she strode toward the group. “But hurry. We’re in a race. Remember?”
As Mari rushed to the visitor’s center restroom, she thought how annoying it was that Sage had cut her off. They had to talk as a team. But maybe Sage was right to wait. It probably wasn’t the right time while they were in the middle of the race, in the middle of a clue—and in front of Javier.
Mari told herself they’d resolve it that night. Then, when she slid the lock closed in the bathroom, she noticed something written on the top of the door.
Eliza was here.
It was scrawled in violet-colored marker. Eliza? The leader of Team Purple hardly came off as the graffiti-artist type, but it seemed like a tremendous coincidence. As if there wasn’t enough to worry about! No matter what, it reminded Mari that they were in a race and Team Green was not their only problem. There was a good chance that Team Purple had taken back the lead. Team Red hadn’t seen any sign of them since the all-girl team left the tourist center that morning. They were savvy, so Mari could only assume they’d headed toward the river, too.
Savanna Showdown Page 2
