Poacher Peril

by J. Burchett

  “It’s a good place to start,” agreed Zoe, “but I don’t like the sound of it. What did she call that strange hairy man?”

  “Orang pendek.” Ben grinned. “It’s just a story. Like the Loch Ness monster, or Bigfoot. Anyway, I’ll look after you.”

  “You?” scoffed Zoe. “You’d be as much use as a concrete trampoline.”

  “Then don’t come running to me when the creature bites your legs off!” joked Ben. He ducked as Zoe swiped at him.

  “Anyway, how’s our poacher doing?” she asked.

  “Still at home,” said Ben, glancing at his BUG. “We haven’t got to worry about him till the cubs come out.”

  “And we’ve got an advantage,” said Zoe. “The poachers have no idea we’re going to thwart their plans. Wild to the rescue!”

  CHAPTER

  SIX

  “What time is it?” asked Ben as they sat on the floor of their hut, eating fish and rice from a papaya skin.

  “17.30,” said Zoe. “It’ll be dusk soon. And darkness comes very quickly this near the equator.”

  “Tiger-tracking time!” said Ben. “Tigers are mainly nocturnal and usually hunt at night.”

  “Thank you, Mr Walking Encyclopedia.” Zoe laughed.

  Ben threw his papaya skin into the bin and pulled on his walking boots. “Let’s go!”

  “Hang on a minute!” said Zoe. “Don’t forget your water bottle.” She unzipped a small backpack from her big one and put water, fruit and the medical kit inside. Then she checked the route on the BUG’s satellite map. “We’ll need the night vision glasses Erika told us about. It’ll get pitch black under the trees.” She plunged her hand into one of the backpack pockets. “I think they’re in here somewhere.”

  “Can’t we put them on when we need them?” said Ben impatiently.

  “Silly!” said Zoe, pulling out two pairs of small, lightweight goggles on a thin strap. “It’ll be so dark we’ll need night-vision glasses to find the night-vision glasses.”

  “These are state-of-the-art technology,” exclaimed Ben. “Remember the huge ones Mum and Dad used when they were looking for that injured elephant in Botswana?”

  “They made them look like aliens!” Zoe laughed.

  Ben pulled his over his head. He opened the door to the hut and stared out into the gloom. “The world’s gone green,” he said. He twiddled a dial on the nosepiece. “Awesome. They’ve got telephoto lenses. I can zoom right in.”

  He stepped out of the hut and into the darkening jungle.

  “This is going to be hard work,” he said, pushing aside branches to make a way between the trees. As their footsteps crunched on the mass of ferns and dead leaves of the forest floor they heard the warning cries of animals deep among the trees.

  “The BUGs have got scent dispersers,” hissed Zoe, as she clambered over a fallen tree trunk. “Activate them. That way we won’t smell like dinner to anything lurking in here.”

  “Too right.” Ben grinned. “You don’t want to scare Tora away with your pong!”

  “She’d already have seen your ugly mug and scarpered!” Zoe retaliated. “Now shush. We’ve got a job to do.”

  They moved on, keeping their footsteps as quiet as possible. After a while, Zoe stretched up and ran her hand over the bark of a tree.

  “There’s no time for nature studies!” Ben told her.

  “But this is important,” insisted Zoe. “Look.”

  Four deep vertical gashes ran down the trunk, showing the light wood beneath.

  “Wow,” gasped Ben. “Tiger score marks.” He sniffed at them. “They look fresh. Did you know that’s what tigers do to mark their territory and warn others off?”

  “Of course.” Zoe sighed. “And I know this as well – they’ve got to be Tora’s. Erika said she’s the only tiger in the area.” She looked around. “Her footprints must be here somewhere.”

  “Pugs, you mean,” said Ben smugly.

  There was a sudden animal shriek from high in the trees. They froze. Zoe’s BUG vibrated in her hand.

  “Phew!” she whispered. “It’s analysed the sound. It was just a tarsier monkey.”

  They walked on, carefully watching every movement from the undergrowth, pausing when a spiny little creature scurried past. “Brush-tailed porcupine,” Zoe told Ben. “Wish we had time to study the wildlife.”

  They came to a sort of corridor through the trees, where large animals had broken away the vegetation to make a path. Ben bent to examine the ground.

  “We’re on her trail,” he said in excitement. “I’ve found a faint pug mark. This must be the way she comes to drink.”

  Zoe joined him. There on the soft earth was a large indent and four smaller ones.

  “I thought they’d be more like circles,” said Zoe, puzzled.

  “That’s the males,” said Ben. “Female tigers have uneven pads. It’s got to be Tora’s!”

  Zoe checked her satellite map. “Looks like this path heads straight to Silent Water. Cool! We’re taking the same track as her.”

  They followed the trail through the trees for almost an hour, heading deeper into the jungle. Zoe suddenly clutched Ben’s arm.

  “What is it?” hissed Ben.

  “Dunno,” said Zoe. “I’ve just got a sort of creepy feeling. Remember what Angkasa said about Silent Water. Supposing that orang thingy shows up.”

  Ben grasped her by the hand and pulled her along. “There won’t be anything like that there,” he said, sounding braver than he felt. “It’s just a story.”

  A screech split the air and echoed eerily round. “It’s a macaque,” said Ben quickly, as he felt Zoe tense and pull back. “We’ve heard them before in Thailand, remember? Hey, I can see water through the trees. Better be quiet. She may already be there.”

  The trees gave way to a large clearing. In front of them was Silent Water, flat and smooth, glimmering in the moonlight. It was surrounded by tall, overhanging trees and a tangle of bushes. A fallen tree rested in the pool and large rocks were scattered about the bank. There was no sign of the tiger.

  “How weird,” muttered Zoe, glancing nervously round at the branches that arched like giant fingers over the water.

  “It really is silent. There must be animals around here, but it’s like everything’s just… frozen.”

  Suddenly they could hear something moving through the trees on the other side of the waterhole. Zoe dragged Ben down behind a thick, ferny bush to the side of the trail. “What’s that?” she whispered.

  A solid black shape barged into the clearing, with a cracking of branches underfoot. The moonlight caught its leathery back.

  “If that’s an orang pendek, I’m a dung beetle,” hissed Ben.

  “It’s a Sumatran rhino,” gasped Zoe, her fear forgotten. “They’re so rare. There’s hardly any left in the wild. Look at his cute little face.”

  “They might look cute, but they can be dangerous,” warned Ben. “If that charged at you it’d be like being hit by a car.”

  They watched as the heavy, slow-moving rhinoceros lowered its head to the water. Its long, hairy ears twitched as it drank.

  “To think it’s killed for its horns,” Zoe whispered. “We must tell Uncle Stephen that there are some here.”

  Gradually Silent Water came alive. Deer, wild pigs and tapirs emerged with their families to drink and swim. Zoe checked the time. To their amazement, two hours had passed since they’d arrived at the waterhole.

  “I’m getting numb feet,” moaned Ben. “I’ve never stayed still for so long.”

  “Maybe Tora doesn’t come here after all,” said Zoe, stifling a yawn.

  “Can’t give up yet,” said Ben. “Let’s take turns to sleep. You first.”

  “I’ll never nod off out here,” protested Zoe, leaning against a tree trunk.

  The next thing Zoe knew she was being shaken awake.

  “Don’t say anything,” whispered Ben. “Something’s happening.”

  All the animals wer
e standing alert. There was a faint rustling from the path.

  Whoosh! In an instant the animals fled as a sleek dark shape stepped out into the clearing. It moved steadily along in the dark, proud head held high and muscles rippling. The silky fur, with its distinctive narrow stripes, gleamed in the faint moonlight.

  “It’s Tora,” breathed Ben.

  “She’s beautiful.” Zoe sighed.

  Tora padded silently towards the water, the black tip of her long tail curling up behind her.

  All of a sudden, she stopped and sniffed the air. With a low growl she came straight for their hiding place.

  They heard a sound like water spraying and a pungent smell filled the air. Then they felt a trickle of warm, stinky urine squirting over them through the bush. Tora was leaving her scent!

  At last she finished and moved off towards the water.

  “Gross!” gasped Ben under his breath.

  “At least we know the scent disperser works!” whispered Zoe, trying not to make a sound as she wiped herself down on a leaf. “She didn’t know we were here.”

  “Wish it worked both ways,” Ben whispered back. “That stinks!”

  They peered through the leaves at Tora, who was now further along the bank. She plunged into the water and swam strongly, head held high. Then she got out, shook herself and began drinking deeply at the edge of the water.

  “I expect she’ll go hunting next,” said Ben. “She’ll have to take food back to the cubs. They’ll be having a mixture of meat and mother’s milk at six weeks.”

  “If we follow her, she should lead us to her den,” agreed Zoe. “Then we’ll know where to go to check on the cubs.”

  Ben picked up his BUG. “I’ll dart her.”

  He targeted Tora and fired at her left haunch. Pfft! The tiger’s skin rippled and she flicked her tail as if she was swatting a fly. Immediately, a satellite map of Silent Water showed on the screen and an orange light started flashing, showing the exact position of the tiger.

  “What’s that?” Zoe parted the leaves again. “There’s something moving by Tora’s legs.” She put her goggles to zoom. “It’s too blurry to make anything out.” She adjusted her focus. Now she could see clearly.

  Two little cubs were playing at the tiger’s feet, padding each other and rolling together at the edge of the water. Ben gave a low whistle. “Uncle Stephen’s got his dates wrong. It’s Tora’s cubs. They’re older than we thought. They’re out.”

  “Then they’re in terrible danger,” said Zoe. “And it’s up to us to save them.”

  CHAPTER

  SEVEN

  “Check where the poacher is,” whispered Ben urgently. “If he’s on to this we’ve got to stop him.”

  “He’s not moved from the village,” answered Zoe, checking the green light. Then she put her BUG into communication mode.

  “We must tell Erika immediately,” she murmured, as she pressed 2 – the hot key that would dial Erika direct. “No signal here!” She groaned in frustration. “I suppose there aren’t many phone masts in the jungle.”

  “We can’t get a signal from our hut and we don’t want to risk being heard in the village with this news,” said Ben, keeping his voice down. “We don’t know who’s in league with that poacher. We need to get higher.”

  “Well, I’m not climbing trees in the middle of the night!” declared Zoe.

  “Don’t worry,” hissed Ben. “We’ll just go to higher ground.”

  “OK,” Zoe agreed. “But Tora will hear us if we leave now. We’ll just have to wait till she goes.”

  “That’s lucky for you,” grinned Ben. “You can do some fluffy-wuffy little cub watching. I’m going to get some sleep.”

  Zoe eagerly trained her goggles on the cubs. “Oh but they’re sooo sweet,” she cooed softly. “Look at them suckling from their mum! Now one’s biting the other one’s ear. And listen to them mew, Ben. I could just hug them.”

  Ben sighed and gave up trying to sleep. They watched Tora nudge her cubs towards the water. The cubs spluttered as they drank. Tora seemed to be keeping guard. She held her head high and gave off soft, deep growls.

  “She’s a good mum,” said Zoe. “She’ll guard those babies with her life.”

  “Freeze,” warned Ben. “She’s on the move.”

  Tora was padding silently towards the trail – and towards Ben and Zoe. They held their breath, hoping the scent dispersers were still working. Tora might be hungry. Zoe felt a mixture of thrill and terror as the beautiful tiger stalked along, her cubs padding at her heels. They looked as if they were trying to be as regal as their mother, but couldn’t resist sniffing the ground or ambushing each other as they went. Zoe gave a regretful sigh as they disappeared.

  “Let’s go,” said Ben, stretching his stiff legs. “No time to lose.”

  “First I’ll find out exactly where the nearest high ground is,” Zoe told him as she checked her screen. “We can’t wait forever for you to work it out. There it is. Cochoa Hill.”

  It was a long walk through the dark forest to Cochoa Hill. By the time they had begun to trek up the slope, the first glimmers of sun were beginning to filter through the trees.

  “I hope we get a signal up there,” panted Zoe, as she pushed through the huge flowers and ferny undergrowth of the steep slope. “The sooner Wild can contact the sanctuary the better.” She stopped to check her BUG. “Nothing yet.”

  At last they reached the top of the hill. Ben wiped the sweat off his forehead and drained the last of his water.

  “Got a signal!” yelled Zoe, sending a flock of bright yellow birds screeching into the air. “No, it’s gone again – and we’ve run out of hill.”

  “Now it is time for tree climbing,” said Ben grimly. He looped the strap of his BUG round his wrist and began to shin up the nearest tree, using the dangling creepers to pull on and ignoring the ants that were running over his arms. “I hope I don’t have to go as far as the jungle canopy,” he called down.

  “Be careful,” warned Zoe. “I don’t want you falling on top of me.”

  As Ben climbed, the forest suddenly darkened and huge drops of water began to splatter down through the trees. Soon every other jungle sound was blotted out by the beat of the water on the canopy above.

  Ben could feel the tree swaying under his weight as he gripped with one hand and fumbled for his BUG with the other.

  Rainwater was streaming down the trunk, making it hard to hold on. Hope this thing’s waterproof, he thought to himself as he struggled with the slippery buttons. At last he accessed the communicator, tapped in Erika’s hot key and held the BUG to his ear. It rang and rang. He pressed 1 to get through to Wild headquarters instead. “Hello?” he shouted as he heard a faint voice. The signal seemed to be coming and going. “Uncle Stephen?”

  No answer. Still holding the device to his ear, he tried to scramble higher, pushing on the spindly branches with his feet.

  “Tora’s cubs are out of the den,” he shouted. “And the poachers are in the village – at least we think so. Can you contact the sanctuary for us?”

  “Hello, Ben!” He could just hear his godfather’s cheerful voice. “Bad signal. Say again?”

  Ben heaved himself up as high as he could. “Sanctuary needs to come now!” he said. “The cubs are –”

  CRACK! The branch under his foot snapped and he fell.

  He grabbed wildly at the trunk as he went. Wet twigs slapped in his face and he felt the skin being scraped from his palms, but he couldn’t get a handhold.

  Then, with a jerk, the BUG strap around his wrist caught on a branch and he found himself swinging ten metres above the ground. His arm felt as if it was going to be pulled out of its socket. But at least he’d stopped falling.

  The BUG suddenly vibrated. “Ben?” It was Uncle Stephen’s voice. He could hardly hear it over the thunderous sound of the rain. “Are you there? How’s it going?”

  Typical, thought Ben. I’m hanging from a tree in a tropical rainstorm and n
ow I get perfect reception!

  “Urgent message!” he shouted up to the BUG. “Tora’s cubs are out of the den.” He twisted about, legs flailing, desperately trying to find something to hold on to.

  “Already!” he heard Uncle Stephen exclaim. “Tell me all about them. Have they got…?”

  The BUG bleeped and went silent.

  Ben managed to get hold of a creeper and hauled himself on to a branch. He unhooked the BUG and climbed down the tree as quickly as his bleeding hands would allow. Zoe had found a huge leaf to shelter under. Ben joined her, nursing his wounds.

  “Are you OK?” she yelled over the sound of the pounding rain. “I heard some noises and I called up, but I don’t think you heard me.”

  “I slipped a little.” Ben grinned, showing her his palms.

  “Nasty.” She grimaced. “Did you speak to Uncle Stephen?”

  “Briefly,” Ben yelled back. “I just hope he got my message OK, and that the sanctuary will be on their way to get Tora before the poachers do.”

  Zoe swung her backpack off her shoulder and found the medical kit. She splashed water on his grazes and began to cover them with dressings.

  “Better get back to the village,” said Ben. “I think we should…ouch!…make sure that the poachers…yow, Zoe, that stings…aren’t on Tora’s trail yet.”

  It was late morning by the time Ben and Zoe reached the village. It had stopped raining and everywhere was steaming in the sun.

  “At least the rain’s washed the tiger wee off,” said Zoe. “Now to work.”

  “Can’t we get something to eat?” moaned Ben. “If anyone hears my stomach rumbling, they’ll think the tiger’s arrived in town.”

  “As soon as we’ve checked out the poachers,” Zoe insisted. She took out her BUG and tapped some keys. A green light flashed. “That Wicaksono’s still at home and we might be able to get close enough to hear something if we hang around.”