The Poacher by Rory

A young poacher, with smooth muscular arms, walked into the savanna. Moments before, the savanna had been alive with the sounds of trumpeting elephants and roaring rhinos. Now, all was quiet. As he got further in, he spotted a patch of grey leathery skin. It was a rhino. He began to run after it, but the speed of the animal and the hot, sweltering sun made him stop for a rest underneath a mighty umbrella tree.

Before he knew it, the heat and the hum of the savanna had lulled him to sleep.

Then, from the dust, came a charging rhino. When he saw the man, he came skidding to a stop. The rhino had an armour plated head, knobbly knees and muscular legs. “Young man, don’t take my horn. I shall be useless, helpless and defenceless without it,” he declared in a deep, gruff voice.

After watching the rhino charge away, a magnificent, enormous elephant stomped over. “Oi you there, tiny kid don’t take my tusks, I use them to defend my young and myself of course,” The elephant trumpeted.

Then, from a nearby mud pit, came a massive hippo. He was muddy and black and the sand stuck to him from his recent time in the mud pit. “Mister,” he said in a surprisingly high voice,” Don’t take my bottom teeth I use them to protect my young and my territory,” at this point he gestured to the mud pit “Please don’t take them.”

Suddenly, the man was awoken by the hot, beating sun streaming through the branches of the tree. In the distance he saw a herd of elephants. The way they protected their young, it was like a museum guard guarding a precious artefact. Despite their concerning size, it was clear they needed their tusks. But, this was for his family, and his family needed money.

Slowly, the man picked up his rifle. He loaded it and fixed the sight. He froze. He was torn and angry, but he wasn’t sure who he was angry at. Was he more important than the animals? He had been given a job to do but now he realised how important the animals were to Africa. Then, he simply dropped the rifle and walked out of the savanna.