Grand Theft Safari Read Online Free Page A

elephants?” Tomas asked Nigel as we headed back to camp.
    â€œOh no, Tomas.” Nigel chuckled. “To shoot poachers.”
    â€œPoachers?”
    â€œYes, sir. When the rangers notice the elephants on a strange move, they know something is going on out there. But poachers are sneaky and hard to catch,” Nigel answered.
    I read the newspapers. I know how horrible poachers are. Men with large machine guns stalk elephants. The men destroy entire herds. They take only the ivory tusks, leaving dead elephantsscattered on the savannah. The ivory is then sold illegally all over the world. Scientists think that if the poaching doesn’t end, elephants will be extinct in some parts of Africa in fifty years.
    â€œAre you going out to shoot the poachers?” Tomas asked.
    â€œNo,” Nigel said. “That is not my job. I am not law enforcement. But, we must be prepared. If we come across poachers, they may shoot us. We might have to defend ourselves.”
    â€œWhy would they shoot us? We’re not elephants?” asked Tomas.
    â€œTrue. But we could easily report them to law enforcement,” Nigel said.
    â€œDead men tell no tales,” I said.
    Nigel nodded. “Yes, that’s the poachers’ philosophy.” Nigel looked at the horizon. “We’d better hurry. It will be dark soon.”
    We saw the giraffes on our way back to camp. They were moving in another direction. But I knew it was the same group we saw earlier. The three long-legged babies trailed behind the group.
    Mom, Dad, and Elea were happy when we made it back to camp.

    â€œWe had visitors at camp today,” Dad told Nigel.
    Nigel looked surprised. “Who? There’s not another research team around for a hundred miles.”
    â€œA rough-looking bunch. Had machine guns. Tried to push us around a little bit. I tried to tell them we’re just doing bird research,” Dad said.
    â€œThey nosed around the tents. They didn’t take anything, at least that I know of,” Mom said.
    â€œDid you have your guns?” Nigel asked.
    â€œYou bet. I let them see it strapped to my belt,” Dad answered. “Carolina offered them tea and biscuits, so as to seem nonthreatening and friendly. They were edgy. Nervous.”
    Nigel nodded thoughtfully. “Did they have trucks?”
    â€œNot that we saw,” Mom said. “But how else could they have gotten out here?”
    â€œI think you met the poachers,” Nigel said.
    â€œThat’s what I suspected,” Mom said.
    â€œI’m going to radio the field station and let the rangers know what happened. They’ll send a squad out. Until then, nobody leaves camp,” Nigel said.
    Tomas spoke up. “We’ve got guns. Let’s go getthose poachers before they can get the elephants.”
    Nigel shook his head. “No, young man, these poachers form groups like small armies. Let the authorities fight them. Law enforcement has much more training than you do.” Nigel patted Tomas on the back.
    As we sat around the campfire after dinner, I worried about the poachers.
    â€œMom, do you think we’ll be all right?” I asked her.
    â€œAs long as the elephants move away from us, we will be. The poachers only want them. But if we get between them and the elephants, there’s no telling what will happen.”
    Even though the night was warm, I shivered and cuddled close to Mom.
    Later that night, I heard a muffled sound coming from outside my tent. I woke Tomas up.
    â€œTomi,” I whispered, “do you hear that?” It sounded like an animal or a person brushing up against the canvas tents. Large footsteps moved across the grass. I could hear Elea whining in another tent.
    â€œDo you think it’s the poachers coming back toget us?” Tomi asked.
    â€œI don’t know. Should we wake up Dad?”
    Before I could wake Dad up, our side of the tent was caving in. Tomas rolled over, on top