There is something missing from our world. The amazing animals that time has left behind. But what if we can bring them back? What if extinction didn't have to be forever? We're going back in time on a safari with a difference, as wild life adventurer Nigel Marven plunges into pre-history to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction. His plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.
This time Nigel plans to travel back to rescue animals that he's encountered before but missed the opportunity to rescue.
Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary. Welcome to Prehistoric Park!
Chapter 36- Lost but not Forgotten
A new era dawns on Prehistoric Park as it gets ready to open up to the public. However this may be a difficult task with some of the park's residents have anything to do about it…
Golden rays cast triangular beams across the pavement indicating that dawn was duly replacing the night. Fog that gave the iconic island its name however still swept through the trees like an ethereal serpent that could take hours to lift. All that could be heard was the chirrup of countless unseen cicadas introduced from the mainland. Footsteps could then be heard. The owner of these footsteps was a portly balding man with a round, kind face covered in a bristly moustache which he refused to acknowledge was mostly grey. The man carried a large white container which he only put down to open the door to a fence which creaked as the metal scrapped against the bolts. He entered the exhibit, full of woodland trees, and placed the container on the dew covered grass. Suddenly there was a thud of heavy feet coming increasingly close to him. A giant brown feathered body with a long neck laid out horizontally eyed him and his container. The man, (Bob Arthur), was not scared though. This creature was one of the park's Dinornis Novaezelandiae, one of the larger moa species from the North Island. Bob smiled and reached into the container so he could scatter small green shoots on the ground for the great birds. The moa honked like a goose in appreciation before pecking the muddy ground in delight. As Bob left the exhibit the creek of the gate made the moa look up in fear before she settled back down to start enjoying the shoot feast before her companions arrived.
"With builders coming from InGen to start opening this place up for the public this week we're going small," Bob explained "Nigel plans to rescue creatures that he's seen before so we don' have a shock about what he's brought back. A good thing to. Some of the builders are a nuisance. They think that because our animals are extinct they can muck about with them. A few days ago one decided to pet a Gallimimus thinking it was just like giant long necked chicken. Kicked him straight in the chest; he's lyin' in hospital with three broken ribs!"
Gallimimus is very similar to modern day ostriches and cassowaries. In the wild they would run from a large carnivore like Tarbosaurus but they would stand and fight a smaller one like Velociraptor with their strong kick. It seems that one worker found that out the hard way.
Bob's next journey would take him on a short walk to the Carboniferous House. Through a clearing in some dark green ferns stood the house. It was the same size in width and length as a standard Reptile House that you would find in any zoo or wildlife sanctuary but in height it was three stories high. The first two stories were bricks arranged into a giant circle painted green to match the surrounding forest as well as having giant blue-green ferns and shrubs planted at the base cementing the impression that this was another section of the forest. The top story was a giant dome which when you looked carefully could see the tops of trees with something flying around it. Bob pushed the door to the house open but had to wait until an adjoining door's light beeped green indicating that he could go through. Immediately he was hit by a wave of heat, humidity and an increase in oxygen which made him start to sweat profusely. A twenty year old, pale Japanese woman with dyed red hair was talking to a taller man in his forties with spiked brown hair and a cheery face with red cheeks. Obviously about the next adventure. He met up with them and leant against a circular wall about chest height in the centre which was divided in two by a smaller wall. Each had their respective moss covered logs as their centrepiece although only one occupant was out. On one log sat a small green lizard like animal with a red head and yellow bands across the body. The Petrolacosaurus chirruped at him.
"Hi Bob," Nigel said cheerfully shaking his friend's hand "Ready for today?"
"As ever. So what beauties are ya' bringin' me here today?"
Chiyo led him over to an extension. It stretched from one wall to another with giant Plexiglas sheets allowing you to look in although they only stretched from the balcony that covered the exhibit to half way down where whatever was separating the bottom of the exhibit had been decorated with fake bamboo for effect. The exhibit was entirely covered in water with logs jutting ominously from the dank, green liquid. The only thing that detracted from the feel of being in a primeval swamp was a sign on the glass reading Do Not Tap on the Glass in different languages.
"We were going to rescue this guy on our first adventure to the Carboniferous but we had no way to keep him safely," Chiyo explained absentmindedly looking at the cool water as sweat fell from her brow "A caiman like amphibian called Crassigyrinus scoticus."
The Crassigyrinus lived in Carboniferous Scotland 328 million years ago and one almost took Nigel's foot off with its massive jaws. A permanent aquatic lifestyle meant they could not take the lake monster home safely.
"Crassigyrinus would be a perfect edition to the park," Nigel explained showing Bob a photo of one in the Prehistoric Park Wildlife Spotter's Guide "They were rare to start with and a change in habitat decimated their population so we'll be going back to rescue the one we saw before."
"Before you go Nigel one quick question," Bob frantically grabbed his shoulder "Today you're not saving every animal that you've seen before."
Images of the giant Leedsichthys that Chiyo had told him about went through his mind. Nigel just laughed.
"Now Bob that would be a stretch even for me. We're only saving a few today but don't worry I'll make sure we have them in the park!"
Nigel and Chiyo are going back to the Carboniferous again 328 million years ago. When they last came a forest fire almost killed the park's resident giant bugs until they were saved. The oxygen rich air of the Carboniferous meant that fires were more dangerous with more fuel. The ash from the burning foliage would have poisoned the waters and the unfortunate rare Crassigyrinus.
Death surrounded them. The sun was blocked out by clouds raining ash like a morbid winter scene which created an underfoot of white remains. All that was left of the once vibrant, life filled forest were the charred remains of trees which stood at an angle all blackened and charred. Chiyo's dark red hair was now white with the ash that rained down upon them. Nigel recoiled as he saw the bunched up burnt remains of a Pulmonoscorpius which could not escape the fire's warm kiss. For safety Nigel got the crew to wrap some scarves which he pulled out of his bag around their mouth and nose; ash getting in the lungs can have serious health repercussions.
"We best be finding our Crassigyrinus. We're lucky that we have something to protect ourselves from the ash. Our amphibian isn't as fortunate," Nigel explained although his voice was muffled.
Everyone eager to get out of the morbid scene nodded in agreement. Each footstep they took created a deep crunch as their feet compressed against the layers upon layers of ash. Chiyo jumped back as she came across a charred trunk of the tree which was still being embraced be yellow flames.
Although bad for Crassigyrinus and other Carboniferous animals the fire has an unexpected effect for human society. The ash and charred trees will be compressed to form coal which will be vital for the Industrial Revolution years to come.
Suddenly there was a splash.
"Nigel, Chiyo, guys. I've found the lake," a soggy crewmember said pulling his foot slowly from the lake.
Ash had completely covered the surface of the lake making it look frozen. You could only tell that it was a lake was looking carefully at the ash where it would slowly move in the lakes ripples.
"Crassigyrinus was an ambush predator so he would still be in there," Chiyo explained "Crocodiles have been known to stay in waiting even if the river they are in dries up. He'll probably still be in there waiting and steadily being poisoned by the ash."
Nigel reached into his bag and pulled out some overalls and wellington boots. He took off his normal boots so he could put the lime green overalls and matching boots. All the time though he was wiping the continuous accumulating ash layers from his hair.
"Last time our Crassigyrinus tried to take a bite out of me. Hopefully he might want another nibble."
Nigel entered the ash covered lake. As he walked the white turned to black as he disrupted the ash layers in his wake. Luckily for him the Crassigyrinus was biting today. Nigel jumped forward spreading ash further across the surface of the lake. A giant splash indicated that Nigel's hapjazard method had worked. He emerged with a two metre long salamander like creature in his arms with pebbly brown skin and ash spread across the lake monster's skin. Giant black eyes were settled deep within the amphibian's giant head although what had the most attention was the giant jaws which were snapping shut with a very audible crack.
"Here he is! The swamp monster!" he yelled struggling with the great beast. Despite how much the beast was writhing Nigel managed to get the monster to the lake edge. Chiyo pulled out the egg shaped portal device and pressed the button on the devices top. A spherical, shimmering blue light emerged from the device. Nigel lunged through the portal with the crew following.
"So that is the Crassigyrinus?" Suzanne asked through the glass. Chiyo and the crew emerged through the portal onto the bank in the Crassigyrinus enclosure. Nigel jumped into the water with the writhing monster. When submerged he let go but the big jawed amphibian turned round a bit on Nigel's foot. Luckily its teeth were too small to pierce through the boot and it soon gave up. Nigel fell over on the bank panting. With a creek Suzanne opened the glass door and looked at the amphibian swimming around the log in its new home.
"I'll take a blood test to see if he needs anything to combat the ash in his system but the way he almost took your foot off I don't think I'll need to," Suzanne laughed making Nigel sit up.
"Well I can't stop. Me and Chiyo have to get to India in the Miocene 10 million years ago. Wait where's Bob?"
"In Kirkland Formation. We've had an issue with the Deinosuchus."
The Kirkland Formation is an area of Isla Nublar home to Prehistoric Park's herd of Parasaurolophus, pack of Dromeosaurs and two giant Deinosuchus. Naturally things can easily go astray.
A bridge stretched from one side of a giant lake to the other. That day the lake was calm with bright blue water reflecting the calm, blue sky. Workers hired by InGen were working quietly on putting up a barrier between the spaced out poles that made up the bridges bannister. Most of the park's construction involved making it safe for the public although the inhabitants of this exhibit had made the workers more cautious. One however dropped his hammer in his toolbox and even from the end of the exhibit Bob could see the worker cringe. The other workers gave their friend what could only described as a death stare. Suddenly the water exploded as a giant green scute covered Deinosuchus rose from the depth. Her giant jaws smashed down on the railing that normally chunks of meat hung from and after a minute of scaring the workers she let go and collapsed in the water. It was better than before; both jumped out the last time they were disturbed. Bob had noticed something. The workers that Hammond had hired were fine but the ones that Ludlow had hired…
"Bob come quickly to the Parasaurolophus…" someone said through his walkie-talkie "Some of Ludlow's guys are trying to feed them crisps."
Parasaurolophus Forest was thankfully nearby to Deinosuchus Dip with them in Kirkland Formation. He got to the edge of the exhibit quickly to see that they had abandoned their tools building the barrier to the exhibit had been discarded as well as the door into the exhibit being wide open.
"Guys look at this," a voice was heard saying. Bob recognised it as Nick, a chauvinistic, crass person who was the 'leader' of the people employed by Ludlow.
Bob entered the exhibit to see Nick standing with two of his friends. Each were eating from packets and offering up contents of the packet to a dinosaur. It stood on all four legs but often would rise on two. The great creature was a lambeosaur with a curved crest which was bright blue. The rest of the Parasaurolophus was green with yellow and blue stripes running down the body. It was a male; the males lived on the outskirt of the exhibit as a line of defence for the females and young in the centre.
"What are you doing?" Bob yelled angrily at them.
"Calm down Bob you girl. It's doing no harm to these hornasaurus!"
Suddenly the Parasaurolophus reared up onto two legs. Bob put his hands over his ears; he knew what would happen.
The Parasaurolophus had a hollow crest which it vibrated air through to communicate. However they could also use this as a weapon to disorientate potential threats. Including workers.
The Parasaurolophus made a high pitched warbling noise that could right through you like a knife. Nick and his friends fell over screaming. Bob rushed over to them and hoisted one of them over his shoulder. Nick waved his hand.
"I'll stop just get me away from here!" he yelled "I'll get my boys to stop trying to cause trouble! Ludlow wanted me to cause problems so Hammond would be convinced to abandon the educational park idea. I don't care what he says. Oh no, I've wet myself."
Bob cringed.
Meanwhile Bob and Chiyo are going to India 10 million years ago to rescue a herd of Chalicotherium. By this time horses had evolved and were outcompeting the slower, more specialised Chalicotheres who eventually went extinct.
Great plains of yellow grass that dominated the land in their golden fibres stretched before them. Chiyo knelt down and looked carefully in the dry, cracked dirt which poked out from the golden grass in an attempt to look for footprints. The strange panda like Chalicotheres had unique tracks thanks to them walking on their knuckles. No luck.
"This is a second reason why they are going extinct," Nigel sighed sadly. He found it sad that so unique creatures as the Chalicotherium went extinct because their teeth could only chew leaves. When the forests were replaced by plains upon plains of grasslands the Chalicotheres could not adapt as well as their fellow ungulates.
"Nigel look a Hipparion!" Chiyo whispered. A single male horse stood in the grass further ahead. He was a silver-grey colour with a short mane. Him chewing some of the golden grass perfectly emphasised how ungulates like Hipparion outcompeted the too specialised Chalicotherium.
"Hipparion lived everywhere. Herds of them covered Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Ironic how Chalicotherium were found in most of those places. A friend of Hammond has suggested that we rescue each evolution of horses because we have Propaleotherium. These guys are still common so we can't rescue him yet."
Behind them a lush forest with fresh shoots still remained. With the forest offering fresh roots any Chalicotheres would be attracted instantly to the trees. They were thankful for this with the myriad of trees offering some respite from the hot Indian sun. Shadows cast from the branches swept across the forest floor making it look like hands reaching out to grab one another.
A forest offering fresh shoots and some shade makes it a prime place for herbivores to live. Luckily Nigel's idea has paid off.
A small herd of Chalicotheres were sitting on their haunches and were reaching up with their long forearms to pull down the branches of Coralwood Trees to feast on the bright green leaves. These Chalicotherium were different to the ones that they saw in Mongolia. They were the same in regards to size, (over two metres high at the shoulder), but they had black haunches, a black head and black arms which formed a black band that stretched over their shoulders. All the rest of the Chalicotheres body was golden.
"What species are these guys?" Chiyo asked.
"Judging by where we are they would be the pilgrimi species. Now how to get you to the park?"
It would be an ordeal with the arms of the Chalicotherium ending with large claws. Although they were used to strip leaves from trees they could easily cause a nasty slash on a prospective threat; including anyone wanting to take them to the 21st Century. Nigel had a plan though. He located the two largest Chalicotheres, (the head of the herd), and lured them towards Chiyo using a branch full of lush green shoots. Hungry they followed. Chiyo opened the portal creating a mass of spherical shimmering light. Nigel backed through the portal with the Chalicotherium following. With the head of the herd moving the rest followed to the safety of Prehistoric Park.
The herd sat down in a dusty holding pen drinking from the troughs. Mary and Bob looked down on them observing the strange amalgamation of pandas, horses and gorillas.
"Judging how you've had me expand Pterosaur Aviary I'm assuming you're bringing back a pterosaur next?" Bob asked.
"You would be right. Rhamphorhynchus muenst from the coasts of Jurassic England 155 million years ago."
Chiyo noticed Nigel's boy like smile indicating that another species may be rescued as well…
Rhamphorhynchus was a seagull sized pterosaur found across the coasts of Jurassic Europe. When larger pterosaurs and a change in climate came along the small Rhamphorhynchus vanished from Europe's skies.
Golden sand crunched under their feet as Chiyo looked at the Jurassic coast. Last time they had largely stayed on the yacht 'The Ichthyosaur' so she hadn't managed to observe the Jurassic beaches.
"Rhamphorhynchus lived much like modern seagulls so if we put some food out they should be attracted by it. With them hunting fish by skimming the water they should have good eyesight to find the food," Chiyo explained.
Rotting fish covered the beach from where they had tried to attract the pterosaur. Soon it caught a bite with a seagull like pterosaur landing by the fish. It had a long tail ending in a diamond, lime green proto-feathers and a pink face with a sharp pointed beak full of needle teeth; ready to swallow fish whole. Nigel lifted up his net gun and with a crack the Rhamphorhynchus was writhing in the net. Nigel ran up to him flicking white sand as he ran so he could scoop up the pterosaur.
"This little fellow is still young. The vane goes triangular shape when fully grown." He held the pterosaur gently with veins visible on the underside of its wings. Chiyo opened the portal as Nigel unravelled the pterosaur from the trap. He angled the pterosaur at the portal and let go sending it through. They repeated this catching four more, (two male and two female), until a new pterosaur arrived. It was the same size as the Rhamphorhynchus but had a curved, needle filled mouth, great amber eyes, a less pronounced tail vane and yellow proto-feathers with blue spots.
"Dimorphodon macronyx. Found exclusively in England. Look a few more are coming. These guys will be extinct soon and are very rare. Let's get a few!"
Soon the Park had a few Dimorphodon as well. Chiyo went red. Hussein pulled up the yacht by the beach.
"Nigel what are you doing?" she yelled in frustration.
He gave a sheepish grin full of childlike innocence. She found it too hard to be angry at it. "I got Mary to build a large sea tank for some Leedsichthys."
The Leedsichthys was a giant fish that ate the same way as modern whale sharks; sweeping through the sea mouth open eating krill and small fish. When sea currents changed during the Jurassic the giant fish vanished with their food source gone.
The sea wind whipped their exposed skin. Chiyo had to squint as the accompanying bright sun reflecting off the clear blue sea into her eyes.
"Chiyo I've found some if you want to go below deck," Hussein said over the intercom.
She waved a note of thanks and traversed below deck. Nigel sat at the glass bottom in childlike awe looking at the huge 16m long fish. In vivid detail they could see the great plates on top of the fish's head to offer some protection against the bite of a giant pliosaur. Their huge size meant only a few could be rescued. Nigel pressed a button on the wall and the portal at the base of the yacht opened; its shimmering light faintly visible through the sun rays beaming through the water. One giant fish vanished as it swam through, followed by another and another. When a fourth swam through he closed the portal.
"Bob is going to be angry," Nigel laughed.
With the portal taking the Leedsichthys directly to a sea tank it took until Hammond's debriefing for him to find out about the new giant residents.
Bob was sitting in a huff. Hammond had decided to do it in the new pterosaur exhibit. There was a bridge going through it along with a small sandy beach and a craggy rock face for the new pterosaurs. Hammond threw a fish and a feathered Dimorphodon swept down and caught it.
"Bob it will be fine. The Leedsichtys are easy to look after despite their size," Hammond laughed.
Bob did cheer up however when a Rhamphorhynchus gave Nigel a quick nip.
"So your next mission," Hammond started "I thought that we should have some very special dinosaurs. That is the first ones discovered…"
Next time Nigel and Chiyo travel back to rescue the first dinosaurs discovered.
A therapod roars in a holding pen.
Where they also look in the water for Mary Anning's discoveries.
An ichthyosaur jumps out of the water like a dolphin.
And the park has a visitor from a mathematician.
A man in a leather jacket throws food into a lake.
All next time on Prehistoric Park on March 29th.
Rescued this chapter:
1 Crassigyrinus scoticus 1 male
11 Chalicotherium pilgrimi 5 male, 6 female
4 Leedsichthys 2 male, 2 female
5 Rhamphorhynchus muenst 2 female, 3 male
4 Dimorphodon macronyx 2 female, 2 male
Notes from author:
Happy birthday A-LionGleek
I've just got next week and the week's after to do requests. I'm just getting around to them so keep them coming.
I'll do more Lost but Not Forgotten and some missed will be in other chapters, (one or two will actually be the subject of missions).
I've got another idea relating to Prehistoric Park. I'm writing a book series, (I've put it on hiatus for school work), where Chiyo, Green Stripe and Cicada are characters in it. Chiyo was based on myself so for obvious reasons I changed her for this fanfiction. In my idea I plan to do a sequel to this series set a month after the park opens that will run side by side with this one, (I'll keep it spoiler free), revolving around a new character who is employed there and Chiyo will be more like she is in my book, (that is more like myself).If you're interested in it please tell me.