"There it is!" exclaimed Kate! Pointing excitedly at the picture in the
dust covered book.
"That's what we're looking for! isn't it beautiful!"
Kate looked round at her companions, none of them showed the same expression as her, and in fact they looked a little disappointed.
"That's it?" said Rosie "It looks like a rat!"
"With a bushy tail!" added Shauna,
Everyone laughed, apart from Kate, who looked very serious.
"This 'rat' is the rarest animal known to mankind! and its not a rat, it's a chinchilla"
"A Great White Chinchilla", said Sarah,
Who shared the same interest in these animals as Kate.
Sarah looked around at the puzzled faces. All these faces, and the rest of them, would soon be travelling miles into the deserts of Australia, searching for the Chinchilla. What made this chinchilla so special? It was pure white, which is very rare in the colours of animals; even horses and cats colours are mistaken. People think they are white but they are a dull grey compared with the white chinchilla. Also this chinchilla has the ability to heal! Its cheeks and teeth contain a powerful antidote to any poison. Many people have killed them for this healing potion and so they have become almost extinct. It was up to Kate and her friends to find two of these animals and bring it to a wildlife centre in Melbourne, where it can be free of poachers and predators.
"Well, lets get going!" said Kate. And their journey began.
"That's what we're looking for! isn't it beautiful!"
Kate looked round at her companions, none of them showed the same expression as her, and in fact they looked a little disappointed.
"That's it?" said Rosie "It looks like a rat!"
"With a bushy tail!" added Shauna,
Everyone laughed, apart from Kate, who looked very serious.
"This 'rat' is the rarest animal known to mankind! and its not a rat, it's a chinchilla"
"A Great White Chinchilla", said Sarah,
Who shared the same interest in these animals as Kate.
Sarah looked around at the puzzled faces. All these faces, and the rest of them, would soon be travelling miles into the deserts of Australia, searching for the Chinchilla. What made this chinchilla so special? It was pure white, which is very rare in the colours of animals; even horses and cats colours are mistaken. People think they are white but they are a dull grey compared with the white chinchilla. Also this chinchilla has the ability to heal! Its cheeks and teeth contain a powerful antidote to any poison. Many people have killed them for this healing potion and so they have become almost extinct. It was up to Kate and her friends to find two of these animals and bring it to a wildlife centre in Melbourne, where it can be free of poachers and predators.
"Well, lets get going!" said Kate. And their journey began.