There is something missing from our world. The amazing creatures that time has left behind. But what if we could 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 wildlife adventurer Nigel Marvin plunges into prehistory 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, the team goes back two hundred thirty one million years to prehistoric Carolina, to rescue a fearsome predator: a crocodile ancestor that walked on land.
Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary.
Welcome to Prehistoric Park.
XXXXXXXXX
Prehistoric Park has had many successful missions, seeing the rescue of early mammals, giant sauropods, and scorpions the size of cats. This time, though, Nigel has his eyes set on a different type of creature.
Instead of looking at photos in his den, Nigel was now at the crocodile exhibit, watching the modern residents live their lives. Before him, a Cuban mugger crocodile was ambling across the ground, attracted to a piece of meat its fellows had missed. Greedily, it dug into flesh, until none remained, before crawling back into the water.
Nigel could help but smile at the sight. "Crocodiles are one of the great survivors. They evolved from the same ancestors as dinosaurs, but while the diosaurs dominated the land, they took to the water. Before they came to rule the waves, though, crocodilians tried to share the land with the dinosaurs. Some famous land living crocodilians are Kaprosuchus, the boar croc, from Africa, Quinkana, which lived in Australia, and the sebecids, which ruled South America. Today, though, I want to go after possibly the earliest of the land living crocodilians."
Taking a break from his monologue, Nigel pulled what appeared to the skull of a dinosaur out of his pack. "This is the skull of Carnufex caroliensis. It's name means 'Carolina Butcher', and when it was alive, it was the dominant predator of its home environment. It's not too much bigger than a modern crocodile, even though it stood upright, so I don't think the park would have too much trouble with a couple of these."
XXXXXXX
Of course, before Nigel can go back in time, he needs to finish up his preparations for the mission. This time, though, he's got help.
With a groan, Marcus lowered the crate to the ground. A moment later, Lucas and Sean were busy sorting through the food stuffs, placing any that would be reasonable for the mission into their packs. Tristan, meanwhile, was busy stocking all of the electronics...and feeding one of the park's Microraptor.
"How long has that raptor been here?" wondered Sean.
"I have no idea, but it won't go away, so I'm feeding it until Bob can get someone down here to bring it back to its exhibit."
"Fair enough," responded Luis. "So, we are going to rescue a prehistoric crocodilian that's name literally means butcher, correct?"
"Yeah, you scared?"
"Actually, Marcus, I am looking forward to it."
"...Huh. Didn't expect that from you."
"Oh please, I can enjoy manly sounding things."
"I didn't say you couldn't."
"Guy's, your packs are one. You want me to throw them over?"
"Yes," replied Sean.
"You sure, dear brother?"
"Ha, ha, ha, yes I am sure, just throw it."
"You asked for it."
Tristan promptly threw the pack. Sean managed to catch it with ease...and promptly landed flat on his back.
"Probably should have mentioned that it had a lot of stuff in it."
"Oh, screw you."
Marcus and Lucas merely snickered at their friend's discomfort, before grabbing their own packs. Tristan joined them, before helping his somewhat indignant brother to his feet. "Come on, we have work to do."
XXXXXXXX
To rescue the butcher croc, the team will have to go back in time two hundred thirty one million years to Prehistoric Carolina. Overall, it won't be very different from their mission to rescue the Coelophysis. That doesn't mean it won't be dangerous, though.
XXXXXXX
As the portal closed, the team found themselves in a dry woodland. Overhead, insects flitted through the sky, eating each other or the occasional plant. In the distance, a herd of dicynodonts was ambling across the horizon. In many ways, the scene was similar to the one the team had encountered in Triassic Arizona.
"Are the memories coming back yet?" asked Sean.
"...Not yet," replied Lucas.
"Give me a while," responded Marcus.
Tristan simply chose not to respond.
Nigel, however, was already looking for creatures to rescue. And he'd already found one group. "Look, in the stream below us."
Lowering their eyes to the river at the edge of the hill they had arrived on, the team saw several crocodile-like reptiles resting in an island in the center of the water. Though superficially similar to gharials, none of them had the pots that were found on the ends of male gharials' noses. Additionally, through use of binoculars, the team could determine that the carnivores' nostrils were not at the end of their snouts, but were instead located close to their foreheads.
Clearly, these creatures were phytosaurs.
Lucas was the first to speak about them. "Are these Smilosuchus or Redondasaurus?"
Sean was the one to answer him. "No, these are Rutiodon, if I am not mistaken."
"Ok, that one. Well, can we start rescuing them?"
"What's the bait?' asked Marcus.
"Me," replied Lucas, holding a spade.
XXXXXX
The plan to rescue the phytosaurs took a page out of Nigel's final solo mission. Lucas used the spade to splash around until the phytosaurs charged him, and ended up leading them straight into the portal. It took only a minute to send them all into the present.
True, it was rather simple, but the good start left the team in high spirits.
XXXXXXX
AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
