CHAPTER 4: SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS (USA)
A week later, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a soft snowfall flurried down to the cold and wet ground of an open range. Many different types of snowflakes drifted down the slopes of the landscape. Birds called out to each other in the sky. A light breeze came through the air. The valley's slopes were covered with powdery snow.
It seems so quiet and peaceful at first...
(Cue "It's Like Herding Parasaurolophus" music by Michael Giacchino.)
Letting out a loud bellowing call, a herd of 11 juvenile dinosaurs thundered across the open range, kicking up powdery snow.
A group of Parasaurolophus. A medium sized dinosaur that feeds on plants and that has a gentle behavior. Each individual had a unique coloration all over its body.
Behind the fleeing animals, a man on horseback was rounding them up.
The man was Owen Dearing Grady. An ex-navy turned animal behaviorist that used to work in the former Jurassic World theme park.
Alongside him, riding nearby, was his companions, a woman named Rosa and Shep, two employees who worked for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Owen was riding on a chestnut colored female horse, while Rosa rode a jet black male horse, and Shep was mounting a silky white female horse.
Owen yelled out, "Hyah! Hyah!"
The horses all whinnied.
He firmly and humanely hit his steed's flank with a horse crop to push her further and faster down their path. His companions did the same to their animals.
The horseman and horsewoman, lead by Owen, made their way into the center of the stampeding herd, driving them towards the plains.
Each Parasaurolophus snorted and bellowed as they thundered across the snowy terrain.
Owen pushed his horse forward again, looking back at his companions that rode behind him.
"Let's bring them home! Hyah!" He called out.
Shep whistled, keeping the dinosaurs moving. Then he called out to Owen, "Hey, there's nothing like herding Parasaurolophuses! Right, Grady?"
Owen chuckled and replied back, "I wish I could say yes, but I have dealt with these kinds of herbivores before!"
Suddenly, one Parasaurolophus with blue and brown color markings broke away from the other dinosaurs and ran off on its own. Luckily, Rosa saw it.
"Grady! One of them is getting away!" She called out to her companion.
Owen saw the runaway immediately.
"Don't worry! I got her! I'll catch up!" He called out to her. And off he galloped after the rogue dinosaur, while his two companions lead the other dinosaurs another way.
Owen hit his horse's flank again, yelling, "Hyah! Hyah!"
The animal behaviorist drew his lasso, swung the rope three times, and hurled it around the Parasaurolophus' neck, roping the runway.
The dinosaur panicked and bellowed with fear as Owen tugged backwards to slow her down, attempting to tie the rope to the saddle on his horse, but the Parasaurolophus kept on going, charging down a steep hill and then a rocky slope.
Owen, startled, gripped hard, holding on for dear life. He had to slide off his horse, holding on to the rope. Owen then proceeded to be snow skidded by the loose Hadrosaur as it heads downhill, wet snow, slush, and ice splattering everywhere, some of it getting in Owen's face. Owen managed to use his foot to latch onto a broken tree stump, causing the Parasaurolophus to halt in its tracks.
The scared dinosaur bellowed and thrashed around, struggling to break free from its bindings.
Seeing that the rope was slipping slowly through his fingers, Owen quickly wrapped it around the tree stump, tied it up, and pulled it tight to stop the Parasaurolophus. Then he turned to the panicked dinosaur as it huffed, growled, and bellowed.
"Okay, okay...come here." Owen said in a gentle voice, trying to calm the frightened animal.
The creature was bucking wildly, rearing like a captured horse, but Owen kept a firm and strong grip on the rope.
"Okay!" He said with a grunt, holding onto his line.
The prehistoric creature kept rearing and bellowing, still struggling to get free from the lasso that was around its neck.
Owen approached the Parasaurolophus, sliding his hands up the strong rope.
And then, just like he did with all the other animals he worked with in the past, (besides dinosaurs) Owen slowly and cautiously lifted his left hand up to the Parasaurolophus' scaly snout.
(Cue the Jurassic World main theme by Michael Giacchino.)
The herbivorous dinosaur stared at the strange man's outstretched hand. Slowly, it started to calm down, sniffing the gloved palm. She huffed at him, but was no longer bellowing. Her light brown eyes peered down into his green eyes.
"We're going to take you someplace safe." Owen reassured the prehistoric creature.
The Parasaurolophus grunted softly and exhaled a small mist cloud of wintery air.
Owen slowly nears his hand to the hadrosaur's snout. The animal flinches as the glove touched its skin.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly.
A couple seconds later, the dinosaur finally relaxed and lowered its head and purred as Owen stroked her snout.
"There you go. There you go." He said gently.
He gave the gentle giant a light smile.