Beautiful bird song and the noise of the wild floating through the open windows, just another morning in the Tanzanian wild. “Wake up! Sleeping beauty!” Lee-Anna screamed from out the bar. Cindy, the sleeping teenage, opened one eye and muttered at the bright sun shining into her room. A sudden rush of energy sprinted trough Cindy’s body when she heard Thabiso scream “They got Tempy”. Cindy rushed down the stairs and into Lee-Anna’s arms. “Lee-Anna, They killed Tempy last night. We already brought in Odette and Bones; they will sleep in camp tonight.” Thabiso spoke to Lee-Anna not even looking at her once signaling orders to the workers as they chasing Odette and Bones into the camp. Tempy was Odette and Bones calf, a baby rhino Cindy raised from birth. Odette was attacked by poachers setting her to calf earlier than expected. Due to Odette’s injuries she was incapable of raising her own baby. Cindy wanted to retreat back to town after she moved to the farm three years ago after her father skipped town and her mom died. Lee-Anna needed someone to take care of the little one; since she was so busy ensuring the poachers can’t enter camp again. Al went well and there was no sighting of the poachers in little less than a year. Tomorrow, April 4th 2013, would have been Tempy’s birthday and now she is dead.
Lee-Anna just held Cindy closer and closer to her every time her shoulders shook trying to fight the tears. Later Lee-Anna and Thabiso went out search for the poacher’s point of entry, even better yet the poachers themselves. Cindy couldn’t stop think about how Odette has to feel because she lost her baby. After imagining the poor beast feelings Cindy snuck out to the rhino base camp. Tears ran down her check when she saw the heart break in the majestic beast eyes. Rhinos are one of the largest land mammals in Africa armed with a build in weapon and thick body armor, yet they are the most fragile. No natural weapon or human forces can keep these giants save anymore. Odette laid in the corner breathing heavily, not even lifting her head when Cindy walked into a steal ladder. Bones came storming into the sleeping quarters snorting and slamming his feet to the ground making thundering echoes through the camp. He refused to move away and stood in between Cindy and Odette, the pain in his eyes darted through her heart. Bones a ton sized young rhino bull experiencing such pain, his heart has to be broken, and it looks like he has been crying. These are great feared beast and yet anyone standing here with Cindy right now will feel sympathy for them. A child is all that was needed to tame this beast and it was all that was needed to break him as well. How can anyone do this a amazing creation like this, you have to be sick not to feel bad when killing a innocent animal even more so a baby animal. “Tempy was only a year old and she was my baby. I hope who did this will pay” Cindy pleaded to the broken rhinos. It was like Odette understood every world Cindy said when Odette stood up and walked towards Cindy pressing her nose against her face. Bones snorted and stayed close to protect his Odette if Cindy posed a threat.
After rolling around in bed, wondering if Lee-Anna and the workers are okay and if they found anything, Cindy came down to find Lee-Anna passed out on the cough sleeping in her safari clothes she had on yesterday. Lee-Anna jumped up of the cough when Cindy surprised her with coffee. Her brown hair was standing wild and her green eyes looked unfocused, making Cindy laugh when Lee-Anna only answer with a one salable word on every question. “Lee, what did you guys find last night? You were gone so long I didn’t think you will come home” Cindy asked half awake Lee-Anna while Cindy took a seat on the coffee table standing in front of the cough Lee-Anna still laid on. “I found out they are theorizing the whole area. They already killed more than 50 rhinos just in this area; I don’t even want to know if you widen the search. Mr. Davis, who lives on the farm two farms from ours, lost five rhinos just last night. We weren’t fast enough to catch the poachers.” Lee-Anna looked heartbroken and disappointed. When Lee-Anna stood up to get ready to go out again Cindy screamed through the bathroom door: “Lee! Can I g with you guys today please?”. Cindy stood at the door waiting to hear a reply instead she heard the shower start running. Screaming with frustrations Cindy stormed out and laid out on the grass looking at the sky. “Are you going like that?” the shadow hovering over Cindy’s head asked making her jump. Cindy ran in grabbed her field shoes and jumped in the jeep before Lee-Anna even knew she was finished. Together the two of them along with Revi and Bobby, Lee-Anna’s two hunting dogs, set out hoping to find the devils that stole so many lives already. If they had no regard for animal life would these monsters feel anything for humans? Cindy didn’t really want to take the chance and find out. Revi jumped on Cindy’s lap wagging her tail and sniffing the air analyzing the wild scent, while Bobby slobbered all over her shoulder.
