Chapter 22- birds, bats and primates versus cats, dogs and corvids!
"Blu, Jewel, CALL YOUR CHICKS TO YOU QUICK!" Zephyr yelled at the couple and they immediately barked at Carla, Bia and Tiago. At their parents' cries, the three Spix macaw chicks darted from Gabriel's side and rushed over to Blu and Jewel where they were swept up in their wings. The other birds including Rafael, Eva, Gabriel, Tobias, Alice, Poppy, Alabaster and also Nico and Pedro, and also the bats and the primates, also looked around until their eyes landed on a tsunami of drab fur on four legs bound over a pile of crates towards them, screeches and barks exploding from their mouths. Above them were black feathered flying forms and they emitted the caws. Confusion swept through Nico, Pedro and company as the crowd of new animals, all of them city dogs, cats and ravens and crows then touched down and landed right in front of them. Many of them carried empty silvery objects with doors and bars, cages, in their paws and talons, ready to capture any victim they were prepared to catch. Then as soon as the city dog, cat, crow and raven group was in front of the crowd of birds and mammals, they glared at them with scheming eyes. Rafael commanded his 25 terrified chicks to get behind him while he took up a defensive stance in front of them and Eva. All 25 toucan kids including Diantha were terrified as they gazed at the dogs, cats and corvids and Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa shot an angry look at the toucan family and their UTMOST foolishness in bringing the ENTIRE lot out of the safety of the jungle. Blu and Jewel held Carla, Bia and Tiago while Aurora and her group immediately recognised the group of newcomers.
"Those are many of that second band of smugglers' pets," Sirius explained to Blu and his family.
"They are many of Vecna the swan's underlings," added Milo.
"I can see they are ready to capture us with those cages," Jewel hissed disgustedly at the silver objects held by some of the cats, dogs and corvids. The other birds, bats and primates continued exchanging confused looks while Nico and Pedro commanded some of the friendly city parrots such as the budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds, to get to safety from the imminent confrontation and they did. A number of either colourful or drabber coloured birds took to the air and flew off but the poachers' pets weren't bothered with them. It was the wild animals they were after, in particular the main group of fourteen for the frequently aforementioned reasons. However, a few human's pets such as Poppy and Alabaster refused to leave and stayed to their wild friends' surprise but these individuals wanted to help their wild friends, especially Alabaster as he remembered the horrible legacy Nigel had left and the bad image he had painted their species, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, with his joining of a band of poachers to cause exotic birds misery. Then everything fell silent as the two groups glared at each other, the poachers' pets' faces laced with 'Hah, we've got ya' looks. Moments later, the leaders of the cat and dog pack, a large hulking black Doberman and a ginger cat, made their way from the back of the poachers' pet crowd to the front, their underlings parting to allow them through. Then as soon as this pair, Brutus and Lysandre, were at the front of the large group, they eyed Blu, Jewel, Rafael, Eva, Nico and Pedro's crowd with wicked smiles.
"Hah, sorry to crash ya party, our soon-to-be captured gems an' company," the Doberman tauntingly crooned, "But we had to."
"Yes, it is time for ya to face the cages an' if ANY of your completely domestic bird friends EVER step in our way, there will be consequences," added the ginger tom, his voice lacing with threat as he mentioned the remaining pet birds like Alabaster and Poppy. Then Lysandre's eyes landed on twelve certain blue macaws with three of them being chicks, and two flying fox bats. Immediately, a paw shot out from under him and pointed at Blu, Jewel, their chicks and Aurora, Zephyr, Brisa, Orion, Ahsoka, Samara, Sirius, Celeste and Milo, "An' that includes YOU lot as well. You've been away from us for long enough and now it is time for you to return."
"Yes, and that family beside you will be comin' wi' US," said a crow, Noire nastily, referring to Blu and his family obviously. The family of five winced and the chicks uttered timid whimpers as titters rolled through the other cats, dogs, crows and ravens as Noire said this. However, Blu and Jewel, the latter with her wings wrapped around her terrified chicks, returned their scorn with threatening glares as Samara came forward.
"Not a chance, poacher mud-pets," she hissed. Some of the others shot Samara a look at this offensive term, a few of them including Blu even accusingly at her apparent refusal to change her attitude towards human-raised animals but Sirius nodded to them that it was not against them and that Samara has indeed changed. Then the male glaucous macaw eyed the poachers' pets as well.
"Yes, go back to where you came from, mud-pets," Sirius added, also using the offensive word Samara had often used.
"Yes, SCRAM," screeched Aurora in agreement. Zephyr and Brisa then spat at the poachers' pets' feet to show their disgust and scorn against them. However, Brutus, Lysandre and their gang just sniggered and stood their ground.
"Oh, my, my, testy ain't we," crooned another cat, a male black cat named Guzma nastily. He held a cage in his paws, "for such precious blue-feathered star sapphires."
"Yeah, maybe they're 'bout to go supernova if you know what I mean," put in another cat, a female grey, white and black striped American shorthair named Ria mockingly.
"Oh, we will be goin' supernova alright, feline pests," Aurora retorted in a low, threatening voice.
"But we would be mere pussy cats," added Sirius before he nodded to a certain pair of Spix macaws with three chicks, "compared to THOSE two if you DARE threaten their chicks!"
Blu and Jewel released fierce hisses and flared their talons to back up Sirius' statement.
"Yeah, an' they will NOT hesitate to use their claws and beaks to protect their son and daughters," put in Milo. Zephyr, Brisa, Celeste, Samara, Sirius, Orion and Ahsoka also released hisses while Poppy and Alabaster looked on with angry glares. Brutus opened his mouth to retort but then Rafael angrily stepped in.
"Look, you bunch of pesky pests," the toco toucan growled, "Why don't ya go back to the streets where you BELONG!?"
"Yeah, perhaps find something better to do with your lives," put in Alabaster.
"Such as finding yourselves better humans to be your owners for instance?" added Poppy. Immediately and ignoring the cockatoos, Lysandre seized Rafael by his head feathers with a front paw and picked him up. Rafael flailed in agony and clutched his head feathers with his wings as Lysandre then glared threateningly into his face.
"Resistance is FUTILE, Big Nose," snarled he, "You're gonna be caged no matter WHAT an' if ANY of your pet friends EVER stand in OUR WAY, we WILL NOT HESITATE TO CAGE THEM AS WELL!"
He was then about to throw Rafael down when suddenly, a large talon appeared, seized his head hair and yanked the ginger tom to its owner. Lysandre released a pained meow and released Rafael as a massive hyacinth macaw glared threateningly at him. Nearby, Eva and the 25 toucan kids got prepared to fight as Rafael joined them.
"You DARE harm ANY of my friends, moggy," the large navy blue macaw with yellow eye rings and a beak lappet growled, "We will HARM YOU!"
"Yes, NO-ONE messes with OUR friends," Alabaster put in, his yellow crest flared.
"Certainly NOT animals who would work for human criminals in catchin' helpless animals from the WILD," put in Poppy, her red, yellow and white crest also raised. The other birds, bats and primates voiced their agreement.
"Indeed," Sirius added, "WE will NOT surrender without a FIGHT... MUD-PETS!"
Samara released a hiss of agreement to this statement.
"Feline weasels!" snarled Milo.
"Stupid irritatin' MUTTS," added Celeste.
"Hideous corvid VULTURES," yelled Ahsoka.
"Pesky poachers' pet ESTUPIDOS," Orion added.
"Flea bitten FURBALLS," squawked Aurora.
"YOU DISGUST US," Zephyr and Brisa added together. Then Nico and Pedro touched down near Orion and Ahsoka and got prepared for battle.
"Indeed, you bunch o' pesky Garfields, bumblin' MUTTS an' brainless corvid PIGEONS," snarled Pedro. Then silence fell upon the two groups once again as they entered faceoff. Each bird, primate and bat glared with each raven, crow, dog and cat, Brutus and Lysandre standing in front of the latter crowd and Blu, Jewel, Aurora and her group in front of the former. Even Gabriel, Tobias and Alice stood in faceoff mode despite their age. Though these blue-and-gold macaws were friendly with city animals including even some friendly cats despite the natural enmity between cats and birds, they LOATHED poachers' pets with a PASSION and will ALWAYS give them a piece of their minds. As the faceoff continued and tensions continued to boil, a raven named Morty tapped a drum saucepan nervously until finally, a volcanic eruption ensued. Pedro jumped up and screamed, "Birds, bats an' primates versus CATS, DOGS AN' CORVIIIIIIIDS!"
"ATTAAAAACK!" Brutus yelled and with that, both crowds launched at each other and plunged into a MASSIVE battle.
Some crows and ravens, among them Noire pounced onto Alabaster and Poppy when they drove them from some parakeets and began to attack them. Noire throttled Alabaster with her talons wrapped around his neck while a raven pulled mercilessly on Poppy's crest, causing the Major Mitchell's cockatoo agony. Suddenly, a blueberry flew in and exploded in Noire's face, making the crow release Alabaster before another blueberry flew and struck Poppy's attacker, hitting him in the face and knocking him off Poppy. Then a cat came in to attack the cockatoos but more berries flew in and splattered him in the face as well. Poppy immediately seized a blueberry and shoved it into the cat's mouth, making the poacher's feline release disgusted meows and spit out the fruit for he LOATHED fruit. As he continued spitting out the blueberry, Nico and Pedro appeared and splattered him with more blueberries.
"I hope ya like BLUEBERRIES, CAT," screeched Nico and with that, he threw a barrage of more of the blue fruits at the cat. Noire, the raven and the cat then turned tail and retreated as Nico and Pedro did a triumphant chest bump and a hi-five with Poppy and Alabaster.
"Yeah, take THAT, moggy menaces an' rottin' ravens," Nico cried out. Around the dancefloor, more cats, dogs, crows and ravens fought the birds, primates and bats. A brown and black Dachshund or sausage dog named Embutido pursued some macaws, a cage in his paws ready to seize them but before he could seize one of the macaws by their tail feathers, a blue and yellow comet swooped in and knocked him down. Embutido released a bark but then a, "TAKE TWO!" rang out and the sausage dog was struck again. Gabriel had flown in to attack him and as soon as he was down, Alice, Tobias and some younger blue-and-gold macaws rushed in, seized his cage and tried to yank it from his paws. Embutido immediately began to resist and wrestle the blue and yellow macaws for the cage. Nearby, Zephyr, Brisa and Aurora worked together to fend off more poachers' pets. They ducked as some crows and ravens, among them Morty swooped in to seize them only to miss and go flying into some boxes. Then the three took off upward in formation to avoid Ria the American shorthair as she dove at them in an attempt to seize them. Ria landed on her front, skidded some distance and crashed into some of the other cats including Lysandre as they fought some marmosets. The cats scattered everywhere like skittles in a bowling game.
"Why you IDIOTIC..." Lysandre bellowed and with that, he seizes Ria by the chest fur and began to throttle her while the other cats ran around dazed.
"STRIKE!" cried Aurora but then a raven jumped onto her and began to try and pull her, together with Zephyr and Brisa who were chained together, back down to earth. Immediately, Brisa took action. She lashed at the raven and tackled HARD into it to knock it off of Aurora. Zephyr then finished the job by punching the corvid in the chest to knock it out. Then the three Spix macaws left to fight off more poachers' pets.
Somewhere else on the ground, Samara and Sirius fought off more attacking poachers' pets as they attempted to seize them. A cat launched itself at Sirius but was struck down with a karate chop-styled wing strike to the face from the male glaucous macaw while a dog leaped at Samara but was clawed in the face by the aggressive female glaucous macaw. The dog ran away and clutched its face with its front paws, pained whimpers leaving its mouth from the pain of the claw marks. Then a black and white border collie appeared before the chained glaucous macaws with a cage, alarming them.
"Don't move an inch, you two glaucous gems," crooned Bryony as she then began to carefully approach the glaucous macaws. However, a marmoset came in with a saucepan Nico and Pedro's club organisers used as a sonorous or sound-producing instrument and got prepared to whack the collie with it. Bryony saw this and lunged at Sirius to grab him but Samara pulled hard on her chain to drag Sirius pout of her way in a faster evasive move. Sirius narrowly missed Bryony's paw and the poor collie was sent careening into Brutus as he held some yellow and green parakeets by the wings. As Bryony crashed into the Doberman, she also whacked him in the head with her cage by accident and made him release the parrots. That made Brutus lose his temper and he shot the female collie a VOLCANIC look.
"Why you CLUMSY CLOD!" he snarled and he seized the cage and shoved it over Bryony's head and upper body in his rage.
"HAH, try gettin' outa THAT, city mud-pet MUTT," Samara scornfully yelled before she and Sirius, who was sniggering, left to help someone else. Bryony was them left to struggle to dislodge the cage from her head and shoulders, the other comrades too busy to stop and help her. The cage was small enough to hold two macaws but not a collie her size.
Celeste, Milo, Orion and Ahsoka took up defensive stances as a ring of cats, dogs, crows and ravens, some of them armed with cages, closed in on them. A female white, brown and black beagle named Celosia and a brown and white King Charles spaniel named Otis slowly sneaked upon the Lear's macaws and Amazon flying foxes from behind with a cage each, ready to snatch them. Alabaster, while he helped some small bats fend off some ravens, saw this and cried out, "You four, LOOK OUT!"
Immediately, Celeste, Milo, Orion and Ahsoka turned round and saw the two dogs with the cages. Immediately, the Lear's macaws launched themselves skyward, seized the flying foxes and took them up moments before Otis and Celosia and their comrades in the ring launched at them. However, the cats and dogs crashed into each other's faces and fell to the floor as they missed the Lear's macaws and bats. As Celosia, Otis and their comrades came to; two dozen black blurs came in with some string and began to tie the group up. Rafael and Eva's toucan kids had come to bind them.
"ATTACK 'EM, MY CHILDREN!" cried a screechy voice. Milo and Celeste as they carried Orion and Ahsoka respectively, turned and saw Eva command her 25 toucan kids to continue binding Otis, Celosia and their comrades into a massive bundle with the string.
"I guess there's an advantage to having so many chicks after all, mates," Milo gloated.
"Yes, but it was still UTTERLY foolish in Rafael in allowing his family, especially his twenty-plus chicks in coming with us with those poachers' poets around," Celeste grumbled. Orion and Ahsoka looked on in agreement. Then as soon as the toucan kids had finished tying up Otis, Celosia and their comrades, Celosia began to snarl.
"Oh, you GOOD-FOR-NOTHIN' BIG BEAKED RATS!" the beagle snarled but then Diantha came in and let loose a MASSIVE screech into her ear, making her wince and howl in pain. Though Diantha had a better singing voice than her keel-billed mother, she still could screech like her. Many of her sisters, however, had inherited Eva's dreadful singing voice. After Diantha's screech attack, the toucan kids began to beat and jump on the poor group of bound poachers' pets like a trampoline with some of them including Marco tearing out beak-fuls of fur from the cats and dogs to Eva's laughter. Otis released a massive howl as one of the toucan kids tore out some fur from his ear. The toucan kid, his beak bearing a lock of brown fur, sniggered and darted away. Nearby, Rafael as he wrestled with a golden retriever, smiled proudly on.
"That's my kiddies," the toco toucan gloated. Milo, Celeste, Ahsoka and Orion also smirked at the poor bound poachers' pets as the toucan kids continued attacking them, jumping on them and tearing out more fur when their eyes picked out an island of blue among another lake of drabber colours. Immediately, the four turned their eyes to the blue island and to their horror, saw that Blu and his family were surrounded by more poachers' pets. Blu hissed at the encroaching smugglers' animal assistants while Jewel hugged the terrified Carla, Bia and Tiago. Sirius and Samara nearby also saw this and rushed to help.
"Celeste, Milo, carry us over that lot attacking Blu and his family and then release us above those cats and dogs," Ahsoka commanded.
"What!?" Celeste retorted.
"From up here!?" Milo replied also.
"JUST DO IT!" Orion demanded. Immediately, the Lear's macaws carried the flying foxes over to Blu and his family and their would-be kidnappers and as soon as they were above the group, they released them. The flying foxes plummeted towards the group and as they fell, Orion didn't flap instinctively to ensure an effective drop attack. The chained Amazon flying foxes slammed onto the cat and the dog nearest to the Spix macaw family and knocked them down. Then the pair rolled over the cat and the dog's heads and onto the floor near Blu, got up and got prepared to fight Blu's family's attempted capturers. Then Milo, Celeste, Sirius and Samara appeared, together with Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa. Soon, all the fourteen targets highest on the poachers' pets' catch list were together and they began to square off against their foes. Carla, Bia and Tiago peered over their mother's wings and at the encroaching and determined poachers' pets, among them Lysandre, Xerosic, a male white Persian cat named Blofeld, Guzma the black cat and a male Siamese cat named Alonso, closed in on them.
"There's NO ESCAPE this time, you bunch of gems," growled Lysandre, the determination to seize them boiling within him, "PREPARE TO ENTER OUR CAGES!"
"Over my dead body, ginger Felis ferret," Blu retorted. The group continued backing towards each other with Samara approaching Jewel such that they were back to back. The two former enemies gazed at each other with surprise but then the poachers' pets prepared to pounce onto them. Around the group, the other poachers' pets continued fighting the other birds, bats and primates with Kipo the spoonbill whacking some crows and ravens with his beak and stomping on some cats and dogs with his feet. The hyacinth macaw also throttled some cats; a raven rode on a young blue-and-gold macaw like a rodeo while two primates fought a dog. Rafael, Eva, their 25 chicks, Nico, Pedro, Alabaster, Sunset, Gabriel, Tobias and Alice continued fending off more poachers' pets. Embutido had managed to seize some of Rafael and Eva's chicks and shove them into his cage but Rafael rushed in and attacked him, making the Dachshund release the cage and the toucan kids to fly out and join in the fray. Some of the toucan kids also proceeded to rip out some of Embutido's fur to cause him pain. Nearby, Gabriel clawed a Great Dane over the face as he caught some smaller honeycreepers and rescued them from getting caged.
Lysandre, Xerosic, Blofeld, Guzma and their comrades then launched at Blu's group but then Samara immediately lifted Jewel onto her back and began to have her 'run' on the faces of the poachers' pets to kick them. She went with the Spix macaw with Sirius going along and helping due to their chain. After this, Samara twirled and hurled Jewel into the air. Jewel flew up and swooped down on more poachers' pets and struck them and clawed some of them. Carla, Bia and Tiago shot back and forth one by one and struck a poacher pet in turn, also one by one as they tried to seize them. Orion and Ahsoka helped the three Spix macaw chicks safely attack the poachers' pets by holding two of them and launching the third at the poachers' pets like a bullet. Blu shook off another cat but then a bundle of black fur leaped onto his back and swung his front legs around his neck. Guzma then attempted to subdue Blu but the angry Spix macaw clamped his beak HARD onto the wrist of his front left paw to get him to release him. A MASSIVE screech of agony exploded from Guzma's mouth and he released the Spix macaw dad. As Guzma darted away, a ginger tom arrived and glared daggers with Linda's companion.
"Count yaself lucky the poacher's pet you just bit wasn't Vecna, Spix gem," crooned Lysandre tauntingly.
"Even if confronted by a brute like that VILE swan I will not, repeat: NOT allow ANY paw or clutch from ANY filthy poacher's pet to touch my FAMILY!" screeched Blu in retort and with that, he lunged at Lysandre. The ginger tom leaped and as soon as the pair clashed in midair, the pair began to viciously fight each other, screeches, vile names and threats and screams exploding from their mouth and beak. The pair rolled back and forth with Lysandre's paws wrapped around Blu's neck and Blu's talons on Lysandre's neck in turn. Then the pair began to rip out each other's fur or feathers and land a claw strike on each other. Lysandre's claws flared and raked over Blu's cheek, inflicting a set of small claw marks and sheared out some blue feathers but Blu's talon claws inflicted a worse injury. They raked right over Lysandre's brow, sheared out some ginger fur. Blu's beak then clamped HARD onto Lysandre's paw, making the ginger tom screech in agony and the Spix macaw did a roll until eventually, he thrusted the ginger tom into the air with his feet. Lysandre flew a few meters and crashed into a box of fruit, sending an explosion of its flesh flying upward like a crater impact. Lysandre, his brow bearing a set of nasty claw marks and his fur smothered in fruit flesh, then crept out and glared bitterly at Blu as he sniggered at the cat's humiliating situation. Nearby, Sirius and Samara continued savagely attacking more cats and dogs with the latter applying her beak and talons fuill force. A number of cats and dogs including Aliana the poodle and Xerosic, came away with nasty claw marks to the face and chest from Samara. Samara then pinned another cat, a calico similar to Katrina but older, and glared scornfully into her face.
"You will NOT believe how long I have wanted to do THIS to ya, poachers' MUD-PETS!" Samara gloated and with that, she flared her talons' claws and began to savagely attack the cat like a rabid macaw. Nearby, Sirius, after biting the paw of the husky breed HARD to injury it, sending the dog into fleeing and releasing pained cries, looked on as Samara continued to savage her cat foe. Nearby, Celeste and Milo attacked more cats while Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa clawed more dogs and also a few crows and ravens as they tried to rush in and seize them.
"That's it, Samara, show that cat WHAT FOR!" Sirius cheered and after a few more minutes of agonising punishment from Samara's wrathful claws, the calico cat fled; her face and upper body laced with NASTY claw marks and torn out fur. Suddenly, a golden retriever approached Sirius while he was not looking but then two furry blurs rushed in and tackled into the dog. Then Orion and Ahsoka began to beat and bite the dog. Sirius and Samara flinched as the two bats continued attacking the orange-furred dog, barks of agony exploding from its mouth. As the fight continued, Zephyr seized Carla, Bia and Tiago and launched them into the air towards Jewel.
"GO TO YOUR MOTHER, QUICK!" the Spix macaw commanded and the three chicks did just that. However, a black blur shot in and seized them to the HORROR of Zephyr but to the RAGE of Jewel as she fended off a crow. A raven then held the three chicks in his claws and gloated.
"Hah, now time for you three lil' BRATS to be CAGED, along with your PARENTS!" the corvid gloated at the three terrified chicks.
"Hey, mutant magpie," Milo called as Celeste clawed another cat over the face, "What happens if you mess with a momma bear?"
The raven gazed back at the male Lear's macaw when suddenly, a cerulean blur shot in with an ENRAGED screech and tackled into him HARD. Carla, Bia and Tiago were released and immediately, Sirius and Samara darted up to them together (due to their chain) and seized them while Jewel landed with the offending raven and began to savagely attack him with her claws and beak. Screeches of agony exploded from the corvid and feathers flew from him as the ENRAGED Spix macaw mother began to SAVAGELY claw him like a rabid cat. While this happened, Rafael and Eva rounded up their 25 chicks and took to the air.
"Go, you lot, FLY AWAY QUICK while we HOLD THESE PESTS OFF!" Gabriel barked as he and a marmoset friend held some cats by the throat. At the old blue-and-gold macaw's behest, Zephyr, Brisa, Aurora, Milo, Celeste and Blu took to the air with Nico, Pedro and also Poppy and Alabaster. Orion and Ahsoka also ran to allow themselves to be picked up but they suddenly found themselves surrounded by more cats, dogs, ravens and crows. Jewel finished dealing with the offending raven and took off after the others when she saw the flying foxes on the ground surrounded by some of the poachers' pets.
"ORION, AHSOKA!" she cried.
"We'll get 'em," cried Alabaster and with that, he and Poppy swooped down towards the flying foxes, seized them by the wings and hoisted them into the air. However, as they did that, some cats, among them Guzma, Alonso and Xerosic, leaped at the bats as they were lifted off the ground by the cockatoos. Guzma seized both bats while Xerosic seized his hind legs and tail, Alonso HIS back end and so on until the flying foxes had a chain of cats clinging onto them. At the end of the chain, the sphinx cat seized hold of a lamppost and stopped the whole chain and also Orion, Ahsoka, Alabaster and Poppy in their tracks. Nico flew in and saw this. Immediately, he seized his bottle cap hat and tossed it at Guzma. The green cap flew at the black cat's face and struck him square in the nose, stunning him. Then Orion sank his fangs into Guzma's right paw and made him release him and Ahsoka. As this happened, the chain of cats fell from the cockatoos and the bats and crumbled to earth. Nico seized his bottle cap hat and replaced it onto his head
"HAH, take that, ya FREAKY FELINE!" he crooned before darting off after the others. Then within moments, the entire group disappeared into the upper levels of the city and headed off for Luiz's garage. Brutus came in and released a MASSIVE bark of frustration and a slap of a paw on the ground at being foiled again. As he did that, two marmosets appeared and shoved a pineapple over the Doberman's head to add to his humiliation. Brutus released another bark and shot a FURIOUS glare at the two monkeys as they scurried off, mischievous cackles leaving their mouths. Though they were not thieving like Mauro's pack, they were still menacing, especially towards poachers' pets.