Savanna Showdown

by Kristin Earhart

  Even though Mari told herself it didn’t matter, she felt that tension in her chest again when she jogged back to the Jeep. It seemed to have a rhythm now, and it was tapping like a drum. She hoped it wasn’t another symptom of motion sickness.

  “Let’s go!” she called out. She grabbed the pressure point on her wrist, just in case. She couldn’t risk a bout of motion sickness now. The engine revved as Javier pulled out of the parking lot and back toward the open expanse of the Serengeti plains.

  * * *

  “You should have warned us!” Dev whirled around, overwhelmed. After about an hour of driving steadily north, the Jeep was now surrounded on all sides by wildebeests.

  Mari was overwhelmed, too, yet in an entirely different way. She watched in amazement as each head of curved horns dashed past the Jeep. “I told you it was the largest land migration on the planet,” Mari yelled over the pounding of hooves. “But you can’t expect me to predict a stampede!” The constant rumble was punctuated by bleating calls. Mari turned south to see the rest of the herd rounding a dense growth of bushes. Beyond that, a wave of thousands more snaked over the plain. Russell stood next to her, binoculars in place.

  When Javier had started to cross the wildebeests’ path, there had been only a few stragglers. Then the herd had surged ahead with sudden speed. Now hundreds of the hooved animals were galloping past, churning up dust, leaping over a muddy gully, and continuing toward the river. A few small groups of zebras kept pace with the wildebeests, their strides long and even.

  “How close are we?” Sage asked, her voice barely audible over the thundering hooves.

  “Five minutes, tops,” Javier called back. “Then we’ll park and climb down for a closer look.”

  As soon as there was a break in the wildebeest traffic, that’s just what they did.

  CREATURE FEATURE

  ANTELOPE

  SCIENTIFIC NAME: many different species in the family Bovidae

  TYPE: mammal

  RANGE: on open plains and acacia woodlands in Southern Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya

  FOOD: almost all are strict herbivores, eating grass, and leaves of trees and bushes; some species eat insects and small animals, which is an odd exception

  Antelope is a name for a deer-like group of animals that all belong to the scientific family Bovidae. Wildebeest, gazelles, and impalas are examples of antelopes.

  Antelopes are horned animals. In some species, only the males have horns, while in others, like the gazelle, both males and females have them. Antelope horns always come in pairs. Unlike deer, who shed their antlers once a year, antelope horns are permanent. And while deer antlers branch out like a tree, antelope horns do not. Antelope horns are made of bone covered with keratin, which is the same material in human fingernails and eagle beaks and talons.

  All antelopes also have hooves that are split down the middle. Some hooves are wide to provide balance in swampy regions. Other hooves are smaller, for picking around uneven, rocky cliffs. Most African antelopes have short, hard hooves that will stand up to a long migration.

  “I’ll come with you,” Javier announced. Mari noted an urgency in his voice that she hadn’t detected before. Javier often stayed behind, allowing the red team to tackle a challenge on their own, but right now he stood at the front of the group. Technically, he wasn’t allowed to help. He was there as a chaperone and as a race official, keeping things safe and fair.

  As soon as there had been a break in the stampede, Javier had revved the Jeep out of the wildebeests’ path. Now they were positioned to answer the next clue. Even though they had parked as close as possible to the river, overgrown bushes lined the high bank so the team had to weave their way to the waterway’s edge.

  “It’s like a canyon,” Mari said when she looked down. Her words got caught in her throat as she swallowed. She couldn’t take her eyes off the steep drop that lead to muddy, rushing water. Despite all her nature-show viewing, she didn’t understand how the wildebeest managed to reach the river, let alone cross it. Of course, many wouldn’t succeed. The crocodiles had a lot to do with that.

  “We’ll have to get lower. I don’t have an angle for the shot here,” Dev said. “Unless one of you sees a crocodile.”

  No one did. But they could hear splashes and goat-like calls from farther upstream. The wildebeest were near.

  “I’ve got a rope in the Jeep,” Javier said, looking back. “You could lower each other down to the riverbank.”

  “There,” Sage said, pointing to where the ridge sloped down to a little ledge above the river. “If going down there gets us close enough, we won’t have to waste time going back for the rope.”

  Mari wasn’t so sure, but the boys fell in line behind Sage, digging the heels of their hiking boots into the dry, crumbling dirt as they slid down to the ledge. Javier went next, then reached out a hand to steady Mari.

  Her three teammates inched along with impressive speed. Mari wondered if, in addition to swimming and track, Sage had competed in gymnastics. Navigating the ledge was a lot like walking a balance beam. Mari’s middle sister, Eva, had done gymnastics for years, and Mari had been almost afraid to watch her on the balance beam and vault. It was scary watching someone she cared about taking a big risk. She’d usually just bury her face in a book until the end of the routine, but now she was the one doing something risky.

  From the wildebeests’ calls, Mari could tell her team would soon see the action. They just needed to get around this bend in the canyon. As she shuffled along, she leaned into the wall of the cliff. After a while, she spotted some stray wildebeest that had been carried by the current. With each step Mari took, there were more of them to see, until she had a view of nearly a hundred of the bearded antelopes crossing the river. They scurried down the steep bank, skirting tall patches of grass, and bounded into the swift water. Once they hit the river, they fought against the current, trying to reach the other side. As soon as one jumped into the water, another took its place and negotiated the leap.

  It was a similar sight on the far bank. One would pull itself out of the river, with another right behind—a stream of wet, tired wildebeests, galloping up the steep, muddy canyon side. Once they reached flat land, they would find green grass … and a host of hungry predators.

  Dev took the lead, ancam in one hand, searching for a crocodile. “They’re hard to see,” he said. “Sneaky.”

  Mari surveyed the waters as well. Of course, the crocs were hard to spot. That was a key to their success. By design, only their nose and eyes needed to rise out of the water, so they could float unnoticed. But on this narrow ledge, she needed to notice everything. She concentrated on her footing and did not look down unless both feet were securely planted. Mari soon realized Sage wasn’t as careful.

  At first, she heard the plunk, plunk of pebbles skipping into the water. A second later, the side of the ledge gave way and Sage dropped from sight.

  “Help!” Her shriek was followed by the sound of her body skidding against the bank. But as quickly as she’d fallen, she jolted to a stop. “I caught a root,” she screamed. “Help me. Please!”

  Mari’s heart practically stopped. If Sage fell into the river, she could become a meal for hundreds of crocodiles that hadn’t eaten in months!

  “I got you,” Russell called to Sage. At once he was down on one knee, reaching his arm out to her while trying to keep his balance on the ledge. He grabbed Sage’s wrist and steadied her until Javier got there and took her other hand. They dragged her up together.

  “We should have used the rope,” Javier concluded. “Better to waste time than one of your lives.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dev asked. “I didn’t waste any time catching that croc.” When he turned back to them, he sported a big smile. He waved the ancam back and forth. Mari glanced down at the screen and saw the dark back of a wildebeest wrapped around a crocodile’s jaws. When she looked over Dev’s shoulder, she saw the same croc in the river. It opened its mouth wide
to adjust its bite.

  The ancam made a familiar whirring sound as it processed the photo.

  “Dev, that’s great,” Sage said, still on her knees and trying to catch her breath. Her face was smeared with sweat and dust.

  “Now let’s get back up the ridge,” Javier directed. “Carefully.” He took the anchor position and pointed out which path he thought was best.

  Mari’s heart was pounding. She had just witnessed one of the greatest events in all of nature! On top of that, one of her friends had nearly become a crocodile snack, and another had saved her from that fate. Mari was certain Sage could no longer question Russell’s loyalty. She hoped they could get back to being a unified team and that now everything would be all right.

  But when they returned to the Jeep, she realized that everything was not all right. It was all wrong.

  CREATURE FEATURE

  NILE CROCODILE

  SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crocodylus niloticus

  TYPE: reptile

  RANGE: Eastern and Southern Africa

  FOOD: birds, amphibians, turtles, antelopes, zebras, rodents, gazelles, waterfowl, hyenas, cheetah, and any other animal it can clamp between its jaws

  The crocodile has the most powerful jaws in nature. With an extra-wide bite and extra-sharp teeth it can catch extra-large prey, up to two times its own weight. The crocodile also has special sensory bumps on its head and body that are over three times more sensitive to touch than human fingertips. There are a tremendous number of the bumps around the mouth, so they might help the crocodile know when—and what—to chomp.

  Short, powerful legs and webbed feet make it a sleek and speedy hunter in the water. Crocodiles are not quite as quick on land, so they usually wait to ambush prey as it arrives at a watering hole for a much-needed drink.

  Africa is home to four species of crocodile. The Nile crocodile is its largest, and the second largest in the world.

  “Who went through our stuff?”

  Mari voiced the question, but everyone was wondering about the answer. Clothes, reference materials, and wrapped snacks littered the ground around the Jeep. All of their bags were empty, even Javier’s.

  Russell immediately plunged his hand into the outside pocket of his backpack, digging around. His eyes were frantic when they met Mari’s.

  “That makes zero sense,” Javier said. “Why would anyone waste time ransacking our supplies?”

  Mari could guess why. She assumed her teammates could as well. It had to be the green team, searching for the chip they’d planted back in the Amazon rain forest. If Russell turned it in to race officials, he could get Team Green kicked out of The Wild Life. It was as easy as that. And if they explained it to Javier now, all of Russell’s friends, kids who lived in his town and went to his school, would be disqualified.

  “Come on,” Javier said. “You can think about the clue while we pick up this mess. Dev, give it to us.”

  With all the excitement, they had forgotten to read the next clue. Mari took a deep breath, hoping all those nature programs would come through with the information her team needed.

  Silent spots,

  Stealth paws,

  The shadow’s great ghost

  Stalks the night alone.

  It was a freebie! Mari couldn’t believe that a clue at this stage would be so easy. It was short, but there were lots of hints.

  When she heard “spots,” she immediately thought of the cheetah and the leopard. The word “stealth” indicated that it was a predator, and “paws” hinted the answer was a species of cat, dog, or hyena. But the biggest giveaways were “great” and “night.” They eliminated the cheetah altogether. The cheetah was not a great cat, and it hunted during the morning and afternoon.

  When Mari tuned in to her teammates again, they were still eliminating answers.

  “What about the hyena?” Russell suggested.

  “Hyenas do their best hunting in teams,” Mari chimed in. “The leopard is solitary. It lives and hunts alone. That’s our answer.”

  “Well, okay then,” Javier said with a decisive nod. “And where will we find our leopard?”

  While figuring out the answer had been easy, Mari didn’t think finding an actual leopard would be. As the clue hinted, the leopard was so sneaky, so stealthy, it was like the ghost of a shadow.

  “They like trees, so maybe we can find one around here,” Mari suggested, but the daylight was growing thin. They couldn’t afford to waste time—and gas—driving aimlessly around the savanna.

  “Hey, wait,” Dev said. “There’s another clue!”

  Fire from above,

  Fire from within,

  Walls that imprison

  And protect.

  A habitat, a hole.

  Nearly perfect,

  Or nearly wrecked?

  “Mari?” Russell asked, his voice uncertain. “What do we do with that?”

  Mari could feel her teammates’ eyes on her as she pondered the clue. “I’m not sure,” she said, stuffing a sweatshirt in her backpack. “But I think it’s giving us our next destination. Where’s the map?”

  “I’ve got it.” Sage unbuttoned her cargo shorts and pulled out the map Bull Gordon had given them earlier that day. When she placed it in Mari’s hand, something fell to the ground.

  “How did you get that?” Russell asked. The tiny piece of metal reflected the fading light. Russell’s eyes flashed to Sage as he bent down.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw Sage lunge forward. Without thinking, Mari scooped up the chip and closed it in her hand.

  “We can talk about it later,” she said, avoiding the surprised gazes of her teammates. “Let’s figure out where we’re going.”

  Mari could feel Sage’s hesitation. “Fine. Go ahead,” their leader said.

  “What are you thinking, Mari?” Dev did his best to sound upbeat and get the team back on track.

  Mari tried to focus. “Millions of years ago, this part of Africa was covered in volcanoes, and they erupted,” she explained, her finger tracing over the map.

  “So that must be the fire within,” Dev quickly surmised. “Magma.”

  Russell took a step closer to see the map better. “And maybe the sun is the fire above? Because it’s so strong here?” he offered.

  “Probably,” Mari said.

  “But what are the walls that imprison and protect?” Sage asked, moving on. “That’s the key.”

  “My guess is it’s a crater, a volcano that essentially collapsed on itself. If I remember correctly, the largest crater in the world is at the southern end of the Serengeti.” Mari paused, her finger now resting on one spot. “Lots of species live there. They’re kind of trapped inside its walls.”

  “Sounds like that’s probably it,” Sage agreed.

  “It’s called the Ngorongoro Crater.” Mari hoped that was enough info for now. She didn’t feel like giving a full lecture.

  Her other three teammates leaned in to locate the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

  “Head south, southeast,” Dev called out.

  “Got it,” Javier answered. Everyone piled into the Jeep. The engine revved as the Jeep pulled onto the dirt road.

  Sage flopped back in her seat. “How do you know all these things?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

  Mari stared out of the Jeep. Twilight had settled on the savanna. A family of elephants were silhouetted against the pink and orange sky. It was so beautiful, it hardly seemed real. This was the last leg of the race. It was almost over. She guessed it wouldn’t be so bad if everyone knew.

  “I had to have surgery when I was six. It was a pretty big deal, and I was in bed for weeks. My older sisters were nice about it, but they were busy with sports and friends. It’s not like their lives had to stop, too, so I watched a lot of TV.” Mari hesitated, gazing as the sun’s golden rays burst from behind an indigo cloud. When she was recovering, the flash and color of cartoons had annoyed her. She’d been weak, and almost everything wore her out.
There was only one thing she could tolerate. “I watched every nature show I could find. Over and over. And over. Even when I was better, my sisters gave me nature books for Christmas and stuff like that. I guess they thought it was my thing.”

  “It’s your thing, all right,” Russell said. He turned to look out the other side of the Jeep.

  Dev had been typing Ngorongoro into the ancam. “That was it,” he announced a moment later. “The organizers sent the GPS coordinates for the crater. Way to go, Mari. Now we just need to spot the leopard, no pun intended.” Dev gave Mari’s arm an encouraging punch as he pushed his way between the seats to the front, where he sat down next to Javier. The two talked for a while, then everyone went silent.

  Mari’s thoughts were still with her sisters. They had been the ones who sent in her Wild Life application. They had told her she should compete. They had that kind of courage. Sometimes Mari wondered how she was even related to them. But they had convinced her she could do it. Like with so many things, Mari had taken their word for it. She had almost believed them, until now.

  Now she had a contraband tracking system in her pocket, a team of near strangers who had lost their bond, and a feeling in her gut that she didn’t understand.

  SPOTTING A CHEETAH OR LEOPARD

  The cheetah and leopard both have spots, but only one of them—the leopard—is one of the great cats, like lions and tigers. There are easier ways to tell these two successful predators apart. Here are some of them:

  A cheetah’s spots are round or oval. A leopard’s are shaped like a flower with a dot in the center.