The See-Through Leopard

by Sibel Hodge

  ‘Really?’ I looked at Dad, who was nodding with excitement.

  ‘There will be some really influential people there, I’ve been told,’ Zach said. ‘It’s the perfect place to reveal your new plans and try and get them on board for an anti-poaching initiative. If we want to make a difference, we’ll need their help.’

  ‘Wow.’ I fanned a hand in front of my face. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  ‘Are you ready to do this?’ Dad asked, and I saw the worry settle on his face. ‘This is a huge opportunity, but I’ll completely understand if you don’t want to do it.’

  He was right. It was huge. And the thought of standing in front of a packed room with all eyes on me scared the crap out of me. But then the picture of Bella came into my head again, and I knew I couldn’t let my fears stop me from doing the right thing. Who cared if I looked scarred or different to everyone else? This was much more important.

  ‘I’m ready. If I can stand in front of a load of policemen waving guns at me, I can stand in front of a crowd and give a speech.’ I nodded so hard I’m surprised my head didn’t fall off. ‘When is it?’

  ‘In two weeks,’ Dad said, ‘But I won’t be able to go with you. We’ve just heard word that another couple of rhino will be arriving then for the breeding programme, and I’ll be needed here.’ He nodded towards Zach. ‘Zach’s going to go with you. Is that OK?’

  Having the greatest friend in the world with me was more than OK. ‘I can’t wait.’ My eyes lit up. ‘I’ll be able to see Aunt Katrina, too!’

  After we chatted excitedly about the new development, I left with Zach.

  ‘I want to go and see Asha,’ I said, which was something I did now whenever I wanted to put things into perspective. Lately, I’d allowed myself to drive closer and closer to her, and whenever she heard the Land Rover she came out to see me, her eyes lit with that same expression of love and affection she’d always had. I couldn’t resist the cuddle, even if it was only for a short time. Well, I was only human.

  ‘Want me to drive you?’ Zach asked. ‘I’ve got some time between the next game drive.’

  I shook my head. ‘Thanks, but I want to tell her the good news on my own.’

  As I was leaving, he grabbed my hand and turned me back towards him. ‘Congratulations.’

  I looked up at him from behind my eyelashes. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, we never would have got this far.’

  ‘Don’t underestimate yourself.’ He released my hand and walked off. ‘Say hi to Asha for me.’

  I drove to her territory, following the signal on her collar, and found her easily, dozing in a tree with the remains of a hyena carcass, looking pretty smug. And so she should be; she’d turned into an exceptional hunter.

  I parked about fifty metres from the tree. ‘Well, you little devil,’ I said quietly to myself with a proud smile. ‘Getting those annoying hyenas back, I see.’

  When she saw me, her head shot up and her ears flicked back. She stretched her front legs and expertly climbed down the branches, jumping to the ground.

  ‘Hey, Asha,’ I called out.

  She padded towards me, and I checked around me before getting out. I knelt down and she rubbed her head against mine. ‘How’ve you been, my beautiful girl?’

  She licked the side of my face as an answer and sat down next to me, surveying her territory, as if she were the proud daughter showing off to her mum. Look, at this. It’s all mine!

  We stayed like that for a while until I heard the unmistakable bark of a leopard. I looked up and saw a big male in the distance, watching us. Asha’s ears flattened and she became instantly alert. She rose to her paws and looked between me and the male leopard, as if asking whether it was all right to go.

  I pointed out to the bush. ‘This is what you’re here for, girl. Go.’

  And with a last look over her shoulder she went to investigate. I climbed into the Land Rover and watched them approach each other, warily at first. Then Asha and the male padded closer together, and she wound her body around him. I’d seen her scent marking her territory in recent weeks, giving off a signal that she was ready to mate. Would we see the tiny patter of baby Asha paws soon, like Kira? I hoped so.

  I watched for a while as they sat next to each other, nudging their heads and bodies into the other. Asha flirted with him before the male got up and wandered off into the distance with her following close behind.

  I sighed softly and kept my fingers crossed for her, heading back home to start working on my speech. It had to be amazing and hard-hitting, and two weeks wasn’t nearly enough time to get it ready, but there was something else I needed to do first.

  I drove back to our quarters and parked outside, stopping by Asha’s old enclosure and running my fingers along the bars with a smile. I went into Dad’s bedroom and looked around but couldn’t see it anywhere. I knew he had one around here some place.

  I sat on his bed, opened the top drawer, and there it was.

  Slowly, I slid my hand inside and pulled out the mirror. I heard myself suck in an involuntary breath and brought it up in front of my face.

  My skin was tanned a golden colour from being out in the African sun, and the scars had faded from angry, puckered red skin to flat, pale lines. I pressed my fingers to my skin and pulled it taut, turning my head from one side to another, unable to believe how much they’d changed. Yes, I was still a girl with scars, but I wanted people to see me for what I was. The girl who’d fought for a leopard cub and won. The girl who’d stood in front of a firing squad to protect Asha. The girl who had the courage to do what was right. Everything that happened to me shaped me into what I had become, and I liked what I saw. I wasn’t looking at my reflection through my own eyes anymore. I was seeing myself through the eyes of a leopard.

  Chapter 28

  It was strange being in England again, like being on a completely different planet. All the traffic, the noise, and everyone rushing around trying to be somewhere at a certain time was so different to life out in the bush, where time had its own definition. Spending every day immersed in the vast wilderness of Africa had become like one of the simplest, purest forms of therapy in the world, and as soon as we stepped off the plane at Heathrow I wanted to be back in Kenya. Back home with Asha, Dad, and my new family. I’d left strict instructions for Dad to call me if anything happened to her while I was away. Luckily, we were only staying in London for one night, and then we were going to see Aunt Katrina for one night before we left to go back to Kenya.

  The dinner was being held at the Mayfair Plaza Hotel in London, where the owners had donated our rooms and the use of their banquet hall for the charity fundraiser. Standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I surveyed myself. The new simple black dress I’d bought at the shops clung to my curves like a second skin. I leaned forwards and applied eyeliner and mascara and swiped a warm peach-coloured lipstick over my lips. I was just running a hand through my long blonde hair when the phone rang.

  I ran towards it, hoping it wasn’t Dad calling to say something was wrong with Asha. ‘Hello?’ I said urgently.

  ‘Hey, sweetheart,’ Dad said.

  ‘Please tell me Asha’s OK,’ I said breathlessly, flopping down onto the bed.

  ‘Asha is just fine,’ he said calmly. ‘I’m calling to wish you luck.’

  I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank God for that.’ I smiled. ‘Thanks Dad. I’m a bit scared. After what happened with Rebecca Swanson, I want to make sure everything I say is just right.’

  ‘When you were reading your speech to me, I thought it was perfect,’ he said.

  ‘Thanks, that means a lot. Have the rhinos arrived yet?’

  ‘Yes, and they’re doing great after their long trip. Can’t wait to release them tomorrow,’ he said as someone knocked on the door.

  ‘Sorry, Dad, but Zach’s here. I have to go. Thanks so much for ringing me, and wish the rhinos luck for tomorrow.’

  ‘Knock them dead!’ he said, and we hung up.

/>   I swung the door open to find Zach standing there in a black tuxedo, crisp white shirt, and a bow tie. His dark hair was cropped short and his jaw line smooth and oh so kissable. It was a gazillion miles away from his permanent uniform of khaki shirt, shorts, and boots, and yet he looked completely at home in it, but then Zach was one of the few people I’d ever met who was so comfortable in his own skin.

  He took a step back when he saw me. ‘Wow. You look stunning.’

  I grinned. ‘So do you.’

  He came inside the room as I grabbed my black silk bag with my speech inside it.

  ‘Are you nervous?’ he asked.

  ‘Yep.’ I rubbed my stomach, trying to get rid of the butterflies beating out a heavy rock song inside. ‘But I don’t care.’

  ‘That’s my girl. You’re going to be great. They’ll love you.’ He held out his hand. ‘Ready?’

  I slid my fingers in his. ‘Absolutely. I couldn’t do this without you, you know.’

  His gaze met mine and he smiled. ‘Come on, we don’t want to be late.’

  We mingled with the organisers and guests before the dinner and then took our places at a table along with a mixture of businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and other supporters. When Zach filled my wine glass and passed it to me, our fingers touched. That familiar tingling sensation travelled up every single vertebrae, but instead of feeling regret, I felt a sensation of overwhelming happiness that he was here with me. He was on my side, and that was all I would ever need.

  When the meal finished, it was time for the speakers. The first to take the podium and address the huge crowd was one of the organisers who worked for the World Wildlife Conservation Organisation. He spoke about the organisation and what projects it had been involved with so far that year. He told us about the list of species which had now become extinct, critically endangered, or endangered. I looked round the table and saw people shaking their heads with solemn expressions, or their eyes misting with compassion. There were people here who wanted to help, and together we could make a difference.

  ‘And now we have a special guest speaker who has spent the last two years in Kenya re-wilding an orphaned leopard against great odds,’ the organiser said. ‘You may have seen the documentary recently shown on National Geographic Channel. Please put your hands together for Jazz Hooper.’ He clapped with enthusiasm and was joined by the rest of the crowd.

  I looked at Zach who winked at me.

  I stood, smoothed my dress down, and walked to the podium on the stage with my head held high, clutching my speech in my right hand.

  The organiser shook my hand and kissed me on the cheek. ‘Jazz Hooper, ladies and gentlemen.’ And he left the stage.

  I unfolded my speech and flattened it against the lectern, feeling all eyes on me, and took a moment to compose myself.

  You can do it, Jazz. You can do anything.

  I imagined Mum standing at the back of the room, smiling her encouragement.

  I took a breath and looked up, watching the sea of eyes aimed in my direction. I smiled, and I was off…

  ‘I’d like to thank the WWCO for inviting me here today, it’s an incredible honour. Just over three years ago I was involved in a traffic accident where I sadly lost my mum. I didn’t handle things very well. I was fifteen, scarred, and I thought my life was over.’ I paused. ‘But what happened next was a drastic and radical change that eventually put things in perspective. My dad decided to move us to Kenya, which had been my parents’ home for a long time before I was born. One day I found an orphaned leopard cub that had also lost her mum, but it was poachers who tragically cut her life short, not an accident. I instantly felt a bond with this animal, whom I named Asha, and spent almost two years re-wilding her, with the help of my good friend Zach.’ I smiled at him, and he beamed from ear to ear. ‘If it wasn’t for Asha and Zach, there’s no way I’d have the confidence to stand up here and look you in the eye today.

  ‘We recently released Asha back into the wild at Kilingi Game Reserve, and she’s doing so well. She’s become what she was always supposed to be: a wild animal. But the poaching of these wild animals isn’t just confined to leopards. Recently on the reserve a pregnant rhino was butchered while she was still alive. Her horns were brutally hacked off and she was left to die painfully. And for what? Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same substance that’s found in your hair and fingernails and has no proven scientific medical benefits.’ I choked back the tears and carried on. ‘Every year, thousands of animals are killed because someone, somewhere wants a piece of them. We have the fur trade, Eastern medicine, hunting for fun or sport, deforestation and loss of habitat due to an increase in human population and wars, or we keep them as pets. We’re either killing them for selfish gain or loving them to death. And as you know from the list that was just read out, these animals are being pushed to extinction or endangerment.’ I glanced up. Everyone’s eyes were firmly fixed on me with sad expressions. ‘But let me get back to poaching.’ I turned the page on my notes. ‘Although re-wilding with Asha worked, it’s not the solution, and it’s often unsuccessful. Change has to start with awareness, prevention, conservation, and protection. In some countries, even the politicians and diplomats admit to being an end user in the illegal wildlife trade, claiming that rhino horn, ivory, tiger bones, or other animal products cure everything from hangovers to cancer. This sends the price of these products sky high, and signs a death warrant for these animals. In some places, illegal animal products are worth more than gold and platinum. Until the leaders of these countries take a stand against this illegal trade, more and more of these amazing creatures will become extinct. The illegal trafficking in wild animals is now the third largest criminal industry in the world. For these animals to survive, we must make a change now. Not in two years, or one year, or even six months. The ugly truth is that some animals won’t be around in six months from now. With rhinos, for example, we can’t replace an animal that’s been killed with enough breeding programmes because they’re diminishing faster that they can reproduce. One day you’ll have to show your grandchildren pictures of these animals because there will be no live ones left, unless this wildlife crisis changes drastically right now.

  ‘The poachers now are far different from local people taking a few animals for the pot. Today, we’re dealing with sophisticated organised crime syndicates who want to make money, no matter what the cost. They see these animals as a commodity to exploit. Ruthless, heavily armed people with AK47s, and in some cases, even grenades. When they’re not shooting or crippling animals, they lace their food with poison and follow them until they die. Even if they track a rhino or elephant whose ivory and horn has been removed for its own safety, they will still kill the animal so they don’t waste time trying to track it again. They don’t care about the rangers on the reserves who protect these animals. They have one aim, and one aim only. To kill and get out as quickly as possible without getting caught. They defend themselves with enough firepower to make some armies jealous, and many rangers have died in the course of poaching activities. Many more risk their lives every day for meagre salaries.

  ‘What we need are tougher laws in place to protect these animals, because the ones that exist are no more than just a piece of paper. We need more police and special agencies investigating this trade, and we need to enforce strict penalties. Governments need to send out strong messages that raping the land and our wild animals won’t be tolerated any more. Safari tourism brings in big business, but with no animals left, these countries can kiss goodbye to it. We have to put a value on preserving wildlife, rather than killing it. We need to stop the people at the top, and we need to stop the demand for these products. We need more rangers in National Parks and on game reserves. We need more monitoring systems in place, like drones or helicopters to fly over the vast open spaces and check for suspicious activity. We need breeding programmes for endangered animals, and, because this is an international problem, we need people in the local areas to see h
ow these animals are worth more alive, though ecotourism that provides jobs for life, than they are in an ivory trinket box, or ground up into a powder, or worn as a symbol of fashion. We need to stop corruption and complicity in wildlife trafficking at all levels.’ I paused. ‘But we can’t just concentrate on one of these areas. We have to fight back from the bottom all the way to the top. Even if one poacher is stopped, there are hundreds more living in poverty, lured by the promise of big money, who are willing to take their place.

  ‘All of these things cost money, but if we don’t find long term solutions, our whole ecosystem will be compromised. The welfare of the human race is so closely linked to the welfare of wildlife. In saving them, we’re also saving ourselves. For greed to prosper, we have to sit back and allow it.’ I paused and glanced up. ‘Please don’t let inhumanity and indifference win the war on greed.

  ‘Conservation has to start with people. People will only fight for what they care about, and they only care about what they know. Educating people is the first step, and at Kilingi Game Reserve, I’m going to be initiating a conservation programme to educate local tribal leaders, school children, villagers, government officials, police, and anyone interested in animal rights, because all of them are the guardians of our wildlife. Humans have had a special bond with animals for thousands of years, and in Africa, as in a lot of countries, there’s a spiritual connection with them. Our aim is to work with the local communities so they won’t tolerate poaching of any kind, and we need all eyes and ears to the ground to work together and inform us of any poaching activity in the area so we can try and prevent it. We will be attempting to increase awareness and understanding with them about conservation issues, promote more tolerance of animals living outside protected areas, and find practical solutions to any wildlife-human conflicts that arise. One of the big ways to make conservation work is to stimulate the local economy with tourism and provide jobs. These animals are Africa’s most precious assets.