The Ultimate Alliance – The Ultimate Series
episode 11: Primeval Park mission 2: A Mammoth Undertaking
(As you know, our first mission was in the Late Cretaceous to save T-Rex, Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops. But our newest mission is including the Stiltons for the first time in the Ice Age. Where we come face to face with a rhino from another period, surviving a showdown with a colossal cave bear and solving the mystery of what is killing the last mammoth on Earth. Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary. Welcome to Primeval Park.)
(It's a beautiful day at Primeval Park, a place that's a bit farther from the castle. And we were almost ready for our next mission.)
Trap: So you're using ruptures in time to save animals?
Me: Absolutely yes, Trap.
Benjamin: This is so exciting.
Geronimo: But which creature are we going to save?
Me: The answer, my friend, lies in the pachyderms.
(Our next mission was to save one of the most famous extinct animals: A mammoth. Not the woolly mammoth or Mammuthus Primigenius, I'm talking about the biggest of their kind: The Columbian Mammoth)
Thea: We're going to save an ancestor of the elephants? A mammoth?
Me: That's right, my love. I adore elephants and they have a long history. There were many strange species, the most common are the mastodons and mammoths. The Columbian Mammoth is a hairless species of mammoth, but that doesn't mean they can't survive in frozen temperatures. Besides their fur, they have a huge layer of fat to keep them warm. I don't know if it's freezing in the place where he lives, but it's possible. Follow me to my watch tower, I study the creatures that I save there.
(The Pleistocene epoch, at the end of that period the ice age was disappearing because of the climate changes. The grasslands changed into dense forests. When the grasslands disappear, so do the mammoths.)
(in the watch tower, I explained a few things)
Me: This is a map of the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. The climate changed and the ice melted. Some of the last mammoths lived in Europe and Siberia. But we're going to the only place where a Columbian Mammoth can be found: North America.
(We were ready for this mission and travel to Earth's coldest period.)
Pleistocene – 10,000 years ago
(We were riding on snow mobiles to search for the remaining mammoths)
Thea: This is amazing.
Me: We can take some pictures. Alright, let's look for some mammoths.
(The dense forests took the place of the rich grasslands, not a good habitat for mammoths. But we also discovered something: a prehistoric cave. I love to explore things.)
Me: Just a minute, guys. I'm going to explore this cave.
Sid: Roger, Sean.
(But it was actually not the good moment)
(growling)
Pandora: Wha...What was that?
(I came out of the cave slowly and the creature came out)
Me: Guys, please don't move.
(creature growling)
Me: Run!
(I've took the wrong creature to disturb. Cave bears stand 10 feet tall and are more muscular than any other bear.)
Me: Quick, quick! Don't look behind.
(The bear followed us)
Me: Hide!
(Cave bears might be big, but they can't climb trees)
Thea: Sean, where are you?
Me: I'm in the tree. You should also better climb in a tree. I was so sure they're extinct at this time.
Geronimo: That was a cave bear.
Benjamin: It almost got us.
Me: Let's check out.
(The bear is going back into the cave)
Me: If I'm not mistaking, that's a male. Females got smaller proportions. He wasn't attacking us, he followed us because we disturbed him. Let's go.
(I cannot save any endangered animal at most moments, so I let bears sleep. It's time to get back to the case in finding a mammoth.)
Thea: Let's climb that mountain to get a full view of the landscape. Maybe then we have chance to find mammoths.
Geronimo: That's a good idea.
(We saw the landscape that was changed, but no mammoth inside.)
Me: It's a beautiful view indeed, but this is not quite a good habitat for mammoths. The climate changed and new species are arriving.
(But I also told them something else and they might know it too. The climate changes are not the only cause of killing the large mammals, there was something else that killed these creatures. Mammoths and other animals are hunted by Ice Age men. They might be the true cause of killing the giant mammals. We were looking for tracks.)
Me: Look. Large footprints. Definitly a mammoth. I think it might not be too far. And here and instrument made by humans. (high note) Made from a mammoth tusk. And here, over here. Fresh dung. Looks disgusting, but it's not. And the good thing, (putting my hand out of my glove and put my finger into the dung) it's still warm.
Trap: Do you wash your hands after that?
Me: Trap, I always wash my hands, but this is not gross. Shh.
Benjamin: What is it, Sean?
Me: Do you hear that?
(distant trumpeting)
Me: We're lucky. Come!
(We followed the sound and saw it with our own eyes)
Me: At last, mammoth.
Thea: What's it doing?
Me: I don't know. Wait, something's not right. Let's get a bit closer, but slowly.
(We walked towards the mammoth. She was in a bad state.)
Me: It looks sick. You can see it's a female. Males have larger corckscrew-like out, even when it's in a bad state, it can still attack.
(But the mammoth couldn't hold it much longer on her legs.)
Me: Slowly, guys. She sure doesn't look well. Hello, girl.
Benjamin: Look, over there.
Geronimo: Is that a trap?
Me: Yes. And here's a spear. The top of it is gone. I think the mammoth was protecting someone she knows and got injured. You can see there's a deep wound behind her ear, if it's not going to be healed then it will be infected.
Diego: There's no sign of life of the mammoth in the trap.
Me: This is just terrible. Many large mammals in this period are killed by early humans and it might sound horrifying, but people are still doing such things to rare animals in the 21st century.
Thea: People who do such things are monsters.
Me: I know. I better call for help. This mammoth needs help. (speaking through the phone) Hello, evil butcher. It's me. Can you send me some people with medical things, we have a very sick mammoth and it's in a really bad state.
(A bit later some monsters arrived to help the mammoth. But at night)
Monster Nurse: Sean! Sean. There's something out there.
(I was afraid this would happen)
Me: The humans have returned for the kill. We must protect the mammoth.
(But the night will not go so easy)
Me: There predators everywhere. Some of their eyes glow when you put the flashlight on them. There are cave lions and over there a cave hyena. The eyes of cave hyenas glow yellow. From wolves it's green. And the worst of the hunters, the humans, they have no eyeshine.
(Then at a sudden moment, the wolves attack and I try to stop them.)
Me: Go away!
Thea: Sean!
Me: Leave her!
(I challenged the wolves and try to scare them away and hit them with a stick)
Me: Leave her!
(The wolves are gone, but now the humans try to approach and I give them a warning by putting some fire on some stakes. They don't dare to come any closer)
Me: It's okay, girl. You're safe. (to the mammoth)
(Dawn, everything's quite and I took care of the mammoth)
Me: I've taken good care. She might be healthy. You can know when a dog is healthy it has a wet nose, with a mammoth it's a wet trunk.
(The mammoth is standing on her feet)
Me: Alright, back of everybody. Even when she's a little healthy, she can attack. Her ears are down so back off.
(But the mammoth is not attacking)
Manny: She doesn't show any agression to us.
Me: she's going to her dead herd mate. We must bring her back to Primeval Park, that wound must still be healed.
(The question is: Will the mammoth leave her ice age world behind and go to the 21st century? There's only one way to find out. I started the portal)
(mammoth trumpeting)
Me: She's coming.
Benjamin: Come on, girl. You can do it.
Me: Just a few steps.
(the mammoth went through)
Me: Attention, we have a mammoth. She needs medication.
(Meanwhile, Thea and a monster nurse are helping to heal the mammoth.)
Monster nurse: It happens often when mammoths getting injured, it's the same with elephants. They restore.
(A difference between elephants and mammoths is the huge layer of fat. In mammoths, it's an incredible three inches.)
Monster nurse: (found the thing that hurts the mammoth) It looks like spear head.
Thea: She was hurt by Cro-Magnon people or Homo Sapiens. They're early humans.
Monster nurse: I give her some antibiotica and further she will restore.
(A few minutes later the mammoth was restored. We gave her an enclosure. We decided to call her Martha. During that time, it was feeding time. Everyone enjoys their food, except Martha.)
Thea: It's strange. She doesn't want eat.
Sid: Maybe the food is not delicious.
Thea: I think I need some research.
(Thea searches on the copmputer about elephants and mammoths.)
Thea: I show you an elephant tooth and a fossilised mammoth tooth. They ate exactly the same things. I don't know what's the problem, but Sean might try to get some food from prehistory if it's not that then it must be something else.
Me: I'm gonna try to get some prehistoric food to see if that's the problem. We got to help Martha.
(I'm planning to go to the sam period, but this time 150,000 years ago. In that time, the world was in the full grip of the ice age. Mammoths were everywhere from the west of Europe to the east of Asia.)
Pleistocene – 150,000 years ago
(I'm using my snow mobile to travel through the frozen landscape and saw mammoths everywhere and there were also woolly rhinos and Megaloceros, the giant elk. I'm collecting some grasses for Martha which are very good to her. I also discovered something else which made a relationship to elephants. But there are also dangers.)
Me: There's a bull mammoth over there. And he's looking for a mate. Females travel in herds with their calves and the males travel alone. Over there, a calve is stuck in the mud. The matriarch is walking towards it. Come on, help him. A tiny calve, he can't make it alone.
(The matriarch is rescuing the calve)
Me: And that's how it is. The matriarch is the herd leader. The herd eats and sleeps when she does and most important when there's trouble, she will always help.
(But then I also got an idea to see the first elephants. I'm going to it now.)
Eocene – 36 million years ago
Me: We're in Egypt. In some mangrove forests at sea. And here live the first elephants: Moeritherium and Arsinoitherium. Arsinoitherium has two horns on it's small trunk, but Moeritherium has not. They might look small and different, but they're really are related to elephants. And more stranger, they live like hippos. Elephants were first amphibian mammals before they became the rulers of the grasslands.
(But elephants are not the only ones of the rich grassland)
(rhino-like creature makes noises)
Me: That's an Embolotherium. A prehistoric rhinoceros. Twice the size of modern rhinos. That heart-like horn is actually not horn, but bone. It could break, but it looks dangerous to me. Rhinos have a good sense of smell.
(But then you don't want to be stamped by an angry Arsinoitherium. I was between the two creatures and the Arsinoitherium attacked, but i could escape. I lost the vet samples and I need to get them back. But I also have something bigger in mind to take with me. This might be a chance to save the Embolotherium from extinction, but I have to take a great risk using myself as bait. I took the bag as quick as I can. The rhino feels threatened and charged. Then I opened the anomaly.)
Me: Get these vet samples!
(Embolotherium growls)
Me: Close the gate!
(The Embolotherium smashed against the gate in order to open it.)
Me: Alright, let it through!
(I did it)
Evil Butcher: What's going on, Sean. I don't believe it. only you can get some grasses and come back with something like that.
Me: He's amazing, isn't he?
Evil Butcher: Thea. You better come here. Sean got a real suprise for us. Look at that. What an animal.
(At Mammoth Mount)
Me: Hey, Martha. Here, it's prehistoric salad.
(But she still don't want to eat)
Me: I don't understand. Back in the Pleistocene, there were so many female herds. There were aunts, mothers, grandmas, sisters, nieces. Like elephants, they have a strong bond with the herd. Maybe she might be feeling alone since the death of her herd mate. I could have brought another one, but I haven't thought of that before. We must make sure she lives forever like my wish.
(Could that be the answer. The reason why she's no eating, is that's she's all alone. Some animals are getting used to their new home. The Embolotherium is enjoying his new life in the park, while Martha is dying of loneliness. At night, there's a meeting with monsters and the Defenders. I have a briljant idea.)
Me: I think we should put her in the herd.
Evil Butcher: It might work, but the herd has got rules. It has a matriarch.
Me: We must do it, it's the only way to save Martha.
(It's a risk that everyone must take.)
Next morning
(It's an important day in Primeval Park, my idea is to put an ice age mammoth to an elephant herd.)
Me: It would be strange for an established herd to meet a strange elephant. But it's the only way to save Martha.
(We first let the Matriarch meet Martha. Martha was happy to someone who is related to her. They communicate.)
Thea: Do you think it will work?
Me: I'm sure.
Thea: You know, the matriarch is known to kill elephants who are trying ot enter the herd, but this might work.
(the two animals finished communicating)
Me: Alright, let her through.
(Martha joins the herd. It will take a long process to become an official member, but it's a start. Next time, the third mission will bring us 84 million years to save one of the smallest but dangerous dinosaurs ever, but we could be ending up with a whol herd of giants. Back at the park, Evil Butcher takes care of two nasty T-Rex's. Martha gets a haircut, but know she spends the most of her time eating.)
The Realm of Darkness
(A mouse is walking in Mean Street and meets 9 villain companions)
Maleficent: Hallo, Miss Aurora.
THE END