Note not all the animals and plants will be native to Mexico but it's Fanfiction so deal with it.

Five year old Manny Rivera looked up at the trees of the jungles of Mexico. The colorful birds were perched on them singing and monkeys were swinging through them. He tried to climb up the tree to get a better look but he only fell down on his butt.

"Manny be careful." His father said.

His father Rodolfo Rivera was a biologist who was visiting the jungle to study the wildlife, his mother Maria was a vet who came to tend to the sick and hurt animals here. Their main purpose was to provide protection for endangered species. Many of them had been hunted and were going into instinction. Luckily Miracle City had provided a wild life reserve to put a stop to it.

"Fascinating." Rodolfo said observing an iguana. He took a picture with his camera and stuck it in his journal along with the other pictures he had taken. "Alright son let's head back."

He put his son on his shoulders and carried him back to their research facility.

"There we go, good as new." Maria said unwrapping a bandage off an injured bird's wing that had just held. "There you are dear."

She opened the window and the bird flew away.

"We're back." Rodolfo said walking inside.

"I see and what did you two scientists find?" She asked.

"Several new species of iguana." Her husband replied. "And I brought a little something for you."

"Oh Rodolfo."

He handed her a pink tiger lily flower. She smiled and kissed him on the mouth.

"Ewww!" Manny said. "Why do you guys have to be so gross?"

The two laughed at their son's embarrassment. They began to pack up their things. This was their last day, now they were going back home to Miracle City to present the research. It was a long drive back, little Manny fell asleep during the drive.

"He looks exhausted." Rodolfo said looking back her son who was sleeping in the back seat clutching his stuffed tiger toy.

"Yes but he's so adorable when he sleeps." Maria smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on his head.

Suddenly they spotted three men wearing masks with guns setting up traps.

"What are hunters doing here?" Maria asked.

"I don't know." Rodolfo stopped the car. "Stay with Manny, Maria."

He got out of the car and approached the men.

"Excuse me gentlemen." He said to them politely. "But this is the wildlife reserve. There's no hunting here."

"So?" One of the hunters said.

"So I'm afraid that you must leave, this jungle is protected by the law hunting here is illegal."

"Like we care? Stay out of our way!" He said.

"But you can't hunt here! This jungle is home to hundreds of endangered species!"

"Mama? What's Papa doing?" Manny asked waking up.

"I..I don't know dear. Stay in the car okay?" Maria got out. "I beg your pardon gentlemen but is there a problem?"

"There will be if you two don't back off and let us trap some animals!" Another hunter said.

"If you three don't leave at once I'll have to call the police."

Rodolfo reached for his phone. The first hunter pointed his gun at him and the second pointed his at Maria.

"Drop the phone or we shoot!" The first hunter ordered.

"Okay." Rodolfo did as he was told. "There no harm done. Now can you just let me leave with my family?"

"Sorry but no witnesses."

He shot him. Maria screamed.

"Rodolfo!"

She ran to her husband's side only to be shot as well.

"Mama! Papa!" Manny cried.

The three hunters looked at the boy in the car. Manny hid but they already saw him. The hunter then fired a shot at the oil tank setting the car on fire.

"Oh my God! What the hell have you done?!" The third hunter said. "You killed them!"

"Hey I couldn't let them tell the cops!"

"Hunting illegally is one thing but I'm not going to jail for murder!" The second said.

"Me either!" The third said.

"Will you two shut up! It's the jungle! No one's gonna know! Come on!"

Shortly after they left the police and ambulance drove by due to the gunshots they heard and the smell of smoke from the reserve. When they got there they found the couple and their car in flames. They put out the fire but they found nothing of Manny except his stuffed tiger and a family photo. The police held a moment of silence for the deceased family. Then went to report the news to Rodolfo's father Jorge who was shattered when heard about the deaths of his son, daughter in law, and grandson. Little did they know that just before the car was completely covered in fire, Manny escaped and ran deep into the jungle.

The little boy was very afraid and sad. He sat under a tree and began to cry, his sobbing stopped when he looked up to see four wild cats: a black panther and his spotted leopard mate, an old puma, and a tiger cub who like Manny had lost his family to poachers. He backed against the tree in fear. The tiger cub went to investigate what this thing was, he sniffed him then much to Manny's surprise he licked him on the cheek. Manny giggled as the cub began to play with him. The black panther and his mate walked over to the boy and sniffed him as well. The leopard quickly accepted him thanks to maternal instinct but the panther was a little cautious. He didn't mind adopting the tiger cub because he was like them, a wild cat but he wasn't sure about the human. But with a little encouragement from his mate he agreed. Unusual behavior for them but wild animals are mysterious things.

From that day forward the four wild cats raised Manny as one of their own. They taught him how to hunt, fight, track, and climb. Some skills Manny learned on his own such as swinging on vines, built a spear, and then use it to catch fish and fruit. For food he ate boar, deer, and fish that he hunted with his animal pack and bananas, coconuts, and mangos he picked from trees. They slept in trees and sometimes in caves. For fun Manny liked to climb trees, swing, and swim in the river.

Eight years passed, Manny was now a thirteen year old boy with dark brown curly hair and brown eyes with a scar over one of his eyes from the accident. He wore only pants that were ripped up and a tiger tooth around his neck. He had grown accustomed to living in the wild and loved his family.

The panther served as the fatherly role in his life, his mate the spotted leopard served as the motherly role, the old puma was sort of like a grouchy elder who advised him, and the tiger was like his older brother. And like most brothers they challenged each other through races and wrestling. For example this morning his tiger brother challenged him to a race to their tree. Manny ran as fast as he could with determination in his thoughts and just when it looked like he would win, Tigre pounced on him and beat him to the tree.

"Cheater!" Manny thought.

The tiger just looked at him smug like. Then the two engaged in a play fight like they always did if Manny accused him of not playing fair. The tiger was always careful not to be too hard on the boy. Most of the time he would win but on a few occasions Manny would beat him. The tiger tooth he wore around his neck was one that he knocked out of his brother's mouth during a match and he let him keep it.

After their fight they decided to go for a swim in the river. Manny did a perfect dive off of a water fall and into the river. Being a human, he was actually a lot better at swimming than his adoptive animal family. In the afternoon they curled up under the tree and took a nap.

During his time in the jungle, he began to lose memories of his old life. He also forgot how to speak properly. He could still speak but it was in stutters. He forgot that he was even human and what humans looked like. Despite this he was happy with his new life and his new family. But that wouldn't be enough for him once he reached a certain age. There would come and day when he would want something more.