Chapter 38: Chapter 38
Alan looks below from the small hotel. It was a 2 storeyed restaurant for lunch and breakfast. The resort was made for dinner and night stays while the small hotel was made as a stop for food and beverages. He sees a black panther with a girl riding below him.
Dorothy: Ok Kanchi stop now. Alan(shouts)
Alan: I thought Brad would come.
Alan reaches Dorothy and the panther.
Alan: Ok so you are riding now. I thought Brad would come.
Dorothy: No Jane and Brad were fighting about the next turn. I just hoped in.
Alan: It’s already an hour and a half.
Dorothy: Well they were right behind me.
Alan: when?
Dorothy: Well some 10 minutes ago.
Alan: Ok there they are I see them.
Jane: Look there they are. There is Alan and the panther.
Brad: Ya I would have been riding the cat if someone wasn’t jealous. Now Alan will call me a coward for all my life.
Burko: Don’t worry young man. I’ll bring Kanchi at the barnyard. Even the domestic animals already know her. You can ride her there.
Hank: Ya you two can. Not me.
Brad: Why Hank?
Hank: Well I am not scared now but still I hate cats and dogs.
Jane: Well I hate dogs but cats are cute. And this one is a wild cat.
Brad smuggles the panther after they reach Alan.
Alan: Bud why didn’t you come? Don’t tell me Dorothy bullied you.
Brad: Dorothy?
Jane: well I bullied him.
Brad: You want a wrestling match.
Alan: I can be the referee.
Burko: Ok kids. Let’s go to the top and eat some lunch and then you can wrestle. Im tired with the walk.
Hank: Ya you two came on the panther. But we four are tired. We have walked for 90 freakin minutes ok.
Alan: Ya but the panther also took 40 minutes even with the run.
Burko: Well she runs at 50mph Alan. And 70mph if were alone.
Alan: You rode her too Mr Stevens?
Burko: Well Alan I did once when Miss Violet used to spend time with her. She was a wild beast at January when she was brought here. She is still only 1 and a half year old. She was not even 1 when she was here. For six months she was tamed and for six months she was given to Miss Violet.
Dorothy: well how long you rode her?
Alan: Do you have to ask unnecessary ones Geek?
Burko: Ok Alan let’s be good ok. And it’s a safari. You are to learn and ask as many questions as you want about the surroundings. And Hank please go and order the cook for basic lunch for all of us. Jane you can go as well.
Hank: Ok.
Dorothy: Well, Mr Stevens. So how long do these big cats live?
Burko: Well, I can’t state the actual. But may be some 15 years I guess. They are predators. They normally get killed when they are 2 to 7 years old.
Dorothy: quite sad.
Burko: Yes I know. But like us many have conserved these big cats and other animals like wolfs. I believe almost 10,000 animals are conserved by private property nowadays.
Dorothy: So how many are here?
Burko: Well a lion, a tiger, two pumas, a black panther, 12 wolfs and some 100 bisons and 500 deers.
Brad: 500 that explains why I saw deers in near the road.
Burko: well actually only some 20 to 30 are at the west side of the small hotel from the way we came. Most of the remaining are near the lion, tiger, pumas territory. Well we wanted to maintain a wildlife chain so that these big cats don’t lose their predatory nature.
Dorothy: Well that would make us in danger.
Burko: Well most of them are fed before tourists are brought at the east side.So they normally are not hungry and they haven’t harm any humans since they are kept here.
Brad: well it’s only been some months. How can you tell.
Burko: I know but some six of us were with them during the time they were tamed. They never attacked any of us.
Dorothy: well it’s good there are fences in their territories.
Burko: Yes specially at the tiger and puma’s area. Lions and wolfs only attack when they are hungry or when they are invoked while tigers and pumas are very dangerous. They are silent hunters who can grab you neck from the back.
Dorothy: Well America is not meant to breed Tigers and Lions as I heard.
Burko: Well there were tigers here at the start of the 20th century. But you were right about lions. They are only found in Africa and India.
Brad: Well what about panthers?
Burko: Well this one is a black jaguar actually. This one was found in Paraguay. Black Jaguars are mostly found in South America while the black leopards are found in Asia.
Brad: Ya Asia is a place for tigers and black leopards as I have read.
Dorothy: Thank go you are not like Alan.
Brad(laughs): I know. But I don’t know how he passes every test though.
Burko: well he is a brave boy. He was the first one to ride this panther in the first go. I took the third go as I was scared at the first two. Even the lion was easily tamed compared to this cat.
Brad: Why?
Burko: Well once Miss Violet owned it. Then it wouldn’t follow anyone except her.
Dorothy: Wow quite a loyal cat.
Burko: Yes it can kill a german shepherd in one strike. It’s a jaguar and jaguars are normally the biggest compared to the other big cats .Lions and Tigers being the exception.
Dorothy: Well he is huge. How much he weighs?
Brad: May be 200 pounds I guess.
Burko: Well she is 155 actually. Males are larger. They can go upto 200 almost as you said Brad.
Dorothy: Quite big cats.
Burko: Well still they are nothing compared to the lion and the tiger. A lion would go upto 600 pounds while a tiger can go to 700 pounds.
Dorothy: That is huge.
Burko: Wait till you see them. Both are males. One is almost 380 pounds while the tiger is nearly 420 pounds.
Dorothy: Wow that’s enormous.
Burko: Ya even Sumato looks like a small leopard infront of the two.
Dorothy: You mean the driver.Isn’t he more than 6 feet tall.
Burko: He is the tallest of our men. And the two tower over him in size.
Some 10 minutes later their lunch arrives as they finish their lunch in no time.
Hank: Wow I was so hungry that I finished the lunch in 5 minutes.(looking at his watch)
Alan: It’s just bread and bacon and wait…………..cheese. Ya we are hungry.
Brad: Didn’t you ride in the panther. How come you are hungry than us?
Alan: Well now you are Dorothy?
Dorothy: Hey
Alan: Ok I told you to get on the panther after me. It was so fun. The panther didn’t even growl when I was riding. While Dorothy here scared him as he was making noises when she came.
Dorothy: He was hungry you idiot. He rode both of us here. He is still hungry.
Burko: Yes you are right Dorothy. Will you tell the cook to make some salmon fish. She loves fish.
Dorothy: Sure Mr Stevens.
Hank: How do you know so much about these animals Mr Burko?
Alan: His name is Burko Hank.
Burko: Well you can call me that as well Hank. Well being with these wild cats and other animals for more than a year has made me know.
Brad: I heard you were at Africa once at a safari. Violet told me about that.
Burko: Yes Miss Violet does tell you everything. You must be quite her favorite.
Alan(smiling): He quite is. But tell us about the safari at Africa.
Burko: Well it was a an hour safari at the Serengeti.
Jane: Serengeti. That’s a wild place as I have heard.
Burko: Yes a dangerous. Although, we were on a covered sumo most of the time. So normally we felt safe.
Brad: That would have been fun.
Alan: Well in a cover sumo. Not quite.
Burko(laughs): Well Im not as brave as you Alan. You are quite tall among all of you.
Alan: Well I’m 5’ 10’’ to be exact.
Brad: Don’t lie Alan. You are an inch taller than me.
Burko: Well we do have a measuring tape for measuring animals. May be we can measure you too.
Brad: No Im 5’ 8’’ and I remember both of us measuring at the Sports Week last year. He was 5’9’’.
Alan: No I measured again. And I was 5’ 10 just a month ago small boy.
Brad: Hey. Let’s measure.
Burko measures the two.
Burko: Wow he is 5’10 and you are some 5’ 9 ½’’ young man. You both are nearly tall as me.
Brad: Wow I gained some inches after all.
Jane: Well you are still 14. You will still grow Badd. So why are you depressed.
Alan: Well he is ecstatic actually.
Burko: He should. Well I am 5’ 10 ½’’. While the driver Sumato is some 6’ 4’’.
Alan: Ya he is huge.
Burko: Yes he weighs almost 190 pounds.
Brad: Quite a big guy.
Burko: Yes even the panther can’t carry him.