It has been nearly five years since the start of the wildlife sanctuary, and things have changed dramatically. Now housing ten tigers, the state has required us to put many more fences up and cut a lot of trees. The five acres have been cut into five one acre blocks, each with two Tigers living inside of it. One block, however, is home to a lone tiger that prefers things that way. This change has not been that difficult, as we have been getting many donations from around the state and even the country. With my nineteenth birthday now coming up, I have already found the thing I want to be doing for the rest of my life.
Through this time, I have managed to get a breeding license, which has allowed me to breed and raise more tigers. Each tiger, once grown, is released into a bigger area where they can truly live in the wild. It is saddening to watch them leave, but I know they are much happier with more room and freedom.
"Crystal, a zoologist by the name of..." Mom leans back toward the phone to hear the name again. "Dr. Canary, would like to speak to you." She says, handing me the phone curiously. Excitement floods through me.
"Hello, Mr. Canary. You're speaking with Crystal, may I help you?" I ask in a polite tone.
"Yes, I recently got my hands on a very rare specimen, that will not be able to live his life in the wild, and I don't have room for him here."
"'Rare Specimen'" I repeat back to him.
"Yes. While on my travels I came across an albino Bengal tiger cub that was abandoned by its mother." A Smile quickly widens on my lips. A white tiger!
"Oh dear, is he alright?" My mom raises an eyebrow at the word 'he'.
"Oh yes. He is still in need of milk, but doing much better. Would you be able to take him in? I can drive him to you easily."
"Absolutely. When can you come?" I ask him, unable to hide my excitement.
"Some time next week, I will keep you posted."
After finally getting the chance to explain what has happened to my mom, we begin to make preparations for the new baby. We have a small enclosure in our main yard for raising cubs, as we needed it when Nala had her first litter. Normally, we have little contact with the cubs because they will be going to the wild once they can care for themselves. Since this new cub is unable to return to the wild, however, we will be able to hand feed him.
"I can't believe we are getting a white tiger!" I explain at dinner. My mom laughs.
"Its amazing, but dangerous." My dad says. I raise an eyebrow.
"Dangerous?"
"Yes. White tigers are beautiful creatures, and most creatures that rare attract some very...bad people."
"You mean, poachers?" I say, worriedness flooding over me. We haven't had any trouble with poachers so far, but everyone knows it is a risk with a sanctuary like this. The thought of someone coming here to hurt the animals we have been trying so hard to protect is haunting.
That night, we begin doing a bit of research on the best methods for protecting against poachers. We already have a security system in place, which are a series of 360 degree security cameras sweeping over each enclosure. We just never took the time and money to hire actual guards, but it might be time to.
The next morning, I start my usual routine of driving to the enclosures to fill pools. The tigers love to swim in them, but they manage to spill all of the water out by the time the day is over. I never knew how playful tigers could be until I got more than one.
For some of the enclosures, I have to fill them from the other side of the fence because the tigers inside are aggressive and need to be released. I don't mind, the only one I have the need to touch is Nala. She, of course, was my first tiger and the reason behind the sanctuary we have today. With the permit, I am no longer allowed to bring her inside the house. We do not get to see eachother as much, but it doesn't bother me because I am always busy with daily chores.
"Here, Nala!" I say quietly, holding out a large fish. Within a few seconds, a twig snaps behind me. I slowly turn, smiling gently at her big head, her eyes staring at the snack in my hands. I hand it to her, as it is gone within seconds of touching her powerful jaws. My hand grazes over her soft fur, feeling the dirty patches from her adventures.
"You've sure gotten yourself messy, but I'm sure that's how you like it. How would you feel If I got you a permanent friend, huh?" I ask her, smiling gently. Every tiger I have paired her with ends up being taken away to the wild. Since she has been in a zoo all her life, she cannot leave us like they can. Her ears perk up slightly.
"He's a newborn cub, pure white. He'll be too easy to see in the wild so he'll have to stay here. can you protect him girl?" I ask her, patting her orange head. She purrs in agreement. Sometimes I still long to hear her soft and gently voice, but I know she would be killed if she spoke again. it has been years since she has said a word, but I will never forget the sound of her voice that night before the trial.
After leaving her once more, I continue my day by filling the pools for the playful tigers. Most stay here for no more than a year or two before I send them off to the real world, so I do my best not to get attached to them.
Its a bit saddening to walk through the area that once was a massive forest and see plains of grass with open fields and far less trees. There are areas with large chunks of forest, but it is just not the same to me. Tigers, of course, need less trees than the animals that used to live in this area.
Around every few weeks or so we get shipments of fish and deer. We release the deer in various areas in the sanctuary so the tigers can enjoy what they love: hunting. The fish get dropped in the main watering area, which is a pond that connects to four of the enclosures. The fifth one, Nala's, has a small watering hole of its own.
I don't like keeping Nala seperate from the other tigers, but she isnt very good at goodbyes so its best to make it so she cannot get attached to the others as they all do something she cant: leave. This is the main reason I want this white cub, because he will offer her a secure companion that will never go anywhere.
Throughout all of the excitement, nothing could have prepared me for what was soon to come with our new arrival.
***********************************************************
I hope you enjoyed the start to the sequel to my first novel.
This is a quick decision, so I apologize as I am still working out ploy details and exactly what I want to happen in the sequel.
I am doing this for a few reasons. For one, it will be showing a contrast between my writing ability since when I first started Wattpad, to now. Also, I have had a reader request a sequel. Although it was one person, I do my best to accomodate everyone's needs.
Love, Zombiegirl.
