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The huge elephant lay on its side. Two great cavities
had been gouged out of its head where it previously held
two tusks. Now there was only mangled flesh and blood.
Manroe stopped and gasped. He clenched his fists and
shook them in anger. It was directed towards the
poachers who had killed the poor gentle creature with
such cruel savagery. Elephants were more noble creatures than man it seems.
Manroe had seen them feeding a blind buffalo before. If
one elephant was sick or wounded, the others would take
care of it or prod it on towards water and food. They
will not leave it behind.
Manroe worked as a ranger in the safari park and he was
following the trail of the poachers who had come into
his area. How he hated them. They were responsible for
the death of a close friend, another ranger, a year ago.
Nobody knew exactly what had happened then. His body was
found with a bullet wound in the bushes. Manroe was sure
that it was the poachers.
It was not easy to catch up with them as the poachers
were careful to cover their tracks. They often separated
following different paths and branches were used to
sweep away evidences of their tracks. Still, a good
tracker only needs the small tell-tale signs like a
slight depression in the bush, a single bent stalk, or a
solitary crushed leaf.
Poaching was still a serious problem in his country.
These -poachers had no respect for the law. Not only do
they kill animals, they also kill those who stand in
their way. It was the season where the elephants were
moving westwards for food and water. The poachers would
hunt them down and kill them for their tusks. They would
bury the tusks at various points and then come back to
collect them later.
With renewed resolve, after seeing the dead elephant,
Manroe continued following
their tracks. He knew he was getting close to the
poachers. He had already radioed back for assistance
from the Anti-Poaching Unit. A few hours later, he
stopped. A light breeze carried a scent that he
recognised immediately as that of those who live in the
bush. He lay down, put his ears to the ground and caught
the vibration of steps to his left. Carefully, he moved
towards the direction and soon saw five men carrying two
elephant tusks.
Crouching low and hiding behind a bush, Manroe knew he
had to continue to follow them to their campsite. He
could not hope to do anything on his own. He had to wait
for help to come. He ran to the next bush. Startled, a
black-plumed ostrich raced ahead of him on skittery
legs. He froze, his heart beating fast, wondering if the
poachers would see him. But they only saw the ostrich
and continued walking on. It was almost nightfall when
they reached their hideout. It was near a craggy mass of
rock. Manroe could hear the sound of boulders being
dragged away and then digging. He looked around him to
make sure that he could identify the place again.
As Manroe prepared to steal away, he suddenly felt
another presence. It was a 40 lone elephant and a calf.
They were heading towards the poachers. Manroe's mind
raced wildly. How could he veer the elephants away from
their intended path without attracting attention from
the poachers. Manroe decided that he had to create a
diversion in another direction. The poachers would come
after him and the elephants would move away from the
turmoil. |
