There is something missing from our world.
The amazing animals 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 distance.
As wildlife adventurer Nigel Marvin plunges into prehistory to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction.
This time, Nigel heads back one hundred and twenty million years to the ancient forests of China in search of a four winged dinosaur.
His plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.
Nigel and Bob gazed upon a massive construction. There was one large wire dome, which covered an area of forest and rivers. "This is the enclosure for our next target, Microraptor, a four winged dinosaur that would glide across the forest treetops." explained Nigel as he pointed at a picture of a small black dinosaur that resembled both a dromeosaur and a bird.
"Gave us quite the job on this one" commented John from behind.
"The time and place Nigel is heading is one of the most mysterious times in pre-history, even we have little idea what he will encounter."
Nigel picked up a tent and walked straight through, followed by a team of three. They emerged between massive forest and a lake. There were pterosaurs flying overhead and massive, murky green and watery brown sauropods drinking at the far edge of the lake. "Those are Guidraco, a pterosaur specialised for catching fish, beautiful, aren't they. Those over there are titanosaurs" Nigel explained as the team set up camp. He gazed at the Guidraco in awe as one dove and caught a fish.
While Nigel gazes upon the Guidraco and the Tintanosaurs, the team is meeting some unexpected guests.
His wonder was interrupted by a scream followed by a massive roar. He bolted towards the camp, only to find his crew under assault by three massive theropods, they were three metres high and ten metres long with bright green heads and pale maroon bodies. Thinking quickly, Nigel set up the portal and yelled out. The predators roared and charged at him. He dived out of the way at the last second, sending them through to Bob. "I'm pretty sure about what those were, John and Dan gave me some files on the fauna in the region, here it is" Nigel said as he pulled out a picture of the dinosaur he had just encountered. "Sinotyrannus, a proceratosaurid found in this region." He looked up to see an orange shape gliding overhead.
Back at the park, Bob is dealing with the new arrivals.
"Only Nigel could go back in time after a chicken sized dinosaur and brin' back this!" he complained as he stared down at the Sinotyrannus as they demolished a cow carcass. Bob's radio sprung to life and the voice of Steven blared through "Bob we've a situation at the Ice Dome."
Back in ancient China, Nigel is meeting an ancient bird.
Nigel pointed up at a flock of small orange birds. He smiled with glee as the flew through the air. "These are Confuciusornis, the first species of bird to have a modern beak." he explained as he pulled out a gun-like device that housed a large net. "This is a net gun, a friend of mine recommended it when she heard I was going after a Microraptor, it will do for these guys to." he explained.
Nigel took aim and fired, immobilising three. He grabbed a few pet carriers and stuffed the birds inside. The process was repeated several times and Nigel, when no birds were left around, had caught eleven of the Confuciusornis.
Back at the park, Bob and Steven are in the middle of an Ice Dome crisis.
Bob and Steven watched on helplessly as the cave lions brawled with Martha, the matriarch of the mammoth herd. The lions roared, causing the other female, Laura, to bolt. Martha's calf, Dumbo, whimpered behind his mother as Laura bolted past and through the door which Bob, in his panic, had left open. She went straight for the holding pens, followed by three hungry cave lions.
The Sinotyrannus, sensing the battle that was occuring, reared back and smashed into the fence at the same time. The fence cracked but held, they charged again. It held once more, the charged one more time splintering the fence before it fell over in several pieces.
The Sinotyrannus have chosen the worst time to break out, with Bob and Steven preoccupied with the ice age creatures, they are free to roam the park.
The Sinotyrannus ran straight past Bob and towards the Cretaceous Creek paddock, which housed the Edmontonia and the Pachycephalosaurus herds. A few Edmontonia held their ground as the Sinotyrannus leaped straight over the fence. The Sinotyrannus roared and the Edmontonia rumbled in a stand-off.
Back in ancient China, Nigel is about to bring back the Confuciusornis.
Nigel and his crew each picked up a pet carrier and carried I through the portal. They walked through the blue glow and into the holding pens. Nigel panicked when he saw the broken fence and the escaped animals. "We can 'andle this lot, get to Cretaceous Creek, the Sinotyrannus 'ave broken out and are fighting with the Edmontonia." yelled Bob as he and Steven sprayed Laura and the cave lions with ice cold water.
Nigel reached the enclosure and saw the battle at hand. He threw a rock at the theropods who, opting for an easier meal, gave chase to Nigel. As he passed the Triceratops Lake enclosure Theo gave a low grumble and went back to feeding. He passed T. rex Hill, where Roxanne and Goliath were growling at each other through a dividing fence in their enclosure. The wooden fence, unlike the other paddocks, had a large trench on the outer side with one retractable bridge so the beasts couldn't escape. They roared in mutual hatred of each other as a relatively insignificant Nigel sprinted past followed by the Sinotyrannus.
Eventually he came to the holding pens, where he ran into an open pen, climbed the ladder and shut the gate just before a Sinotyrannus could make it to the exit. Bob had separated the cave lions and Laura, the lions were in the holding pens while Laura and the other mammoths happily resided in the Ice Dome.
Steven and Bob met Nigel in front of the holding pens. "That was quite the rush" gasped Nigel as he drank down a full bottle of water.
"Definitely Nigel, quite the rush they gave us, well I'll be rebuilding the separation fence if I'm needed." replied Bob as he began to walk away. He halted at the sound of Steven's voice.
"If Nigel doesn't mind, I think it would be wiser to keep them separate from now on." he more or less commanded.
"Agreed, Bob can you begin on a new enclosure and on your way send Suzanne down to check up on the escapees." agreed Nigel as loaded his jeep.
Now that the predators have been contained, Nigel can get back to searching for the Microraptor.
Nigel drove through the portal. He ignored the group of titanosaurs across the lake, which were migrating away. "I've looked at the lake and in the outskirts of the forest and I have found no trace of the Microraptor, so common sense would suggest that the little fellows are hiding away in the forest."
He strolled through the forest as the occasional chirp or squawk from a teasing shape in the trees. Nigel kept walking until he met a small ceratopsian with a parrot-like head. They had vibrant green skin and long black quills shooting out of their back. "These, of course, are Psittacosaurus, quite the specimens, aren't they." he explained as he slowly walked towards them. The small dinosaurs didn't back away, but instead looked up at Nigel. "They must be curious as to whether I'm friend or foe" he said as he picked up a small fern and held it out to the tiny creatures.
Back in the park, head vet Suzanne is tending to a nasty gash on Laura's gut.
"I've been checking over Laura here and during the fight, she sustained a pretty serious gash but I'll clean it and hopefully she'll recover." explained the head vet.
She got up and walked away. "Bob wants me to check up on the Pacycephalosaurus, he thinks one of the females is acting very strangely." she said as she loaded herself into the jeep.
She came up to the enclosure and snuck into the hide where Bob was waiting. "Ah Suzanne, hows Laura." asked Bob as he watched the dinosaurs through the window.
"She's good" answered Suzanne as she stared out the window.
"That one over there, she 'as been eatin' and sleepin' separate from her group" explained Bob as he pointed at one of the females of the group.
"Yeah she isn't socialising from what I can see" commented Suzanne.
"Yes, we'll 'ave to remedy this as soon as possible." Bob added.
Back in ancient China, Nigel is playing with his new friends, the Psitta cosaurus.
Nigel was interacting with the Psittacosaurus. He played with them for quite a while, not noticing the smoke in the sky. He stroked the head of one of the Psittacosaurus as it made a light purring sound. There was a loud bang and Nigel turned to see an erupting volcano. The Psittacosaurus panicked and ran straight for the lake. Thinking quickly, Nigel set up the portal and opened it sending his new friends through to the present.
He looked up to see Microraptor and Guidraco flocks panicked on the bank of the lake. He looked further and saw the titanosaur herd stampeding towards the flocks. They scattered. Nigel set up a special portal set that was blue rather then silver and opened it. The flocked scattered through followed by Nigel as he closed the portal.
"I wish I could have saved those titanosaurs but the portal only led to the aviary so I couldn't" explained Nigel.
"So you got the Microraptor then?" asked Bob.
"Yep, and a few surprises as well" said Nigel and as if on queue, one of the Guidraco swooped down on top of them.
Next time, Nigel heads back one million years after two of South America's most lethal predators.
Nigel is stared down by a massive flightless bird.
But also encounters some lethal herbivores.
Nigel dodges a charge from a large herbivore.
And Bob and Suzanne solve the mystery of the antisocial Pacycephalosaurus.
A pacycephalosaur in the infirmary.
Rescued this chapter:
Microraptor 6 females, 3 males
Confuciusornis 3 males, 3 females
13 Guidraco
Psittacosaurus 3 males, 3 females
Sinotyrannus 2 females, 1 male