A Giant Rescue Read online

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Bindi Wildlife Adventures 11: A Giant Rescue

  ePub ISBN 9781742742984

  Kindle ISBN 9781742742991

  A Random House book

  Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060

  www.randomhouse.com.au

  First published by Random House Australia in 2011

  Copyright © Australia Zoo 2011

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia.

  Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at

  www.randomhouse.com.au/offices

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry

  Author: Irwin, Bindi, 1998–

  Title: A Giant Rescue / Bindi Irwin, Jess Black

  ISBN: 978 1 86471 856 0 (pbk.)

  Series: Irwin, Bindi, 1998–Bindi wildlife adventures; 11.

  Target audience: For primary school age

  Other authors/contributors: Jess Black

  Dewey number: A823.4

  Cover photograph © Australia Zoo

  Cover and internal design by Christabella Designs

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Imprint Page

  Dear Diary

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Animal Fact File

  Bindi Books

  Become a Wildlife Warrior!

  ‘Almost there, Robert,’ encouraged Bindi, from high up on the watchtower.

  Her brother, Robert, climbed the last two ladder rungs and stepped up onto the top of the tower. ‘Wow, I feel like a giant!’ he cried in delight, surveying the surrounding landscape.

  Bindi laughed. ‘Yep, it’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?’ Whichever way they turned, the Irwins had a great view of the tropical rainforest sprinkled across the Cardamom Mountains. This part of Cambodia was lush and green – the land was very fertile. Dotted in among the forest hills were neatly planted crop farms, with local farmers working in rows as they tended to their crops.

  ‘Maybe that’s why they call it an elephant tower, because you feel like one when you’re up here looking down!’ suggested Bindi.

  Robert shook his head in doubt, a serious expression on his face. ‘No, silly. It’s called an elephant tower so we can spot the elephants coming near the farms and trying to eat the crops!’

  Bindi chuckled. ‘Thanks for the heads-up, little buddy.’ She leaned over the edge to call down to her mum, Terri, who was standing at the base of the tower. ‘Do you think we’ll see any elephants today?’

  It was Kate Watson, Terri’s friend and colleague, who answered. ‘Sorry Bindi, they rarely visit this area anymore.’

  Terri put an arm around Kate’s shoulder. ‘You’ve achieved amazing results here, Kate. I can hardly recognise the place from our first trip a few years ago. Good on you!’

  Kate ran a hand through her long dark hair and smiled. ‘Well thanks, Terri. It’s been a very rewarding project to be involved in. Not only are the elephants thriving, but the crops are too. It’s a win–win situation!’

  Terri felt really proud of what the Cambodian Elephant Conservation Foundation had achieved over the last few years. Elephant deaths through human conflict had all but stopped. Cambodia was home to two of the largest Asian elephant habitats left in Asia – the Cardamom Mountains in the south-west of the country and Mondulkiri Province in the east. Here in the Cardamoms, the elephants had caused problems for farmers by raiding the banana and sugarcane crops. The farmers needed these crops to survive and attacked the elephants in order to protect their livelihood. Kate had come on board as group leader to help the local community to deter the elephants using nonviolent methods.

  Terri hoped very much that they would be able to have some impact on the future of the endangered Asian elephant population in Cambodia. If this project worked, then perhaps humans and elephants would be able to live alongside each other in peace.

  ‘Awesome, Kate!’ cried Bindi. ‘It must feel great to have a happy ending.’

  Kate nodded. ‘It definitely does, Bindi.’

  Bindi stifled a yawn that then set Robert off. It had been a long journey from Australia to reach the project in the mountains, and they had only been in the area for a few hours. The kids were starting to feel the jet lag. Kate noticed Terri also looked a little tired.

  ‘Keeping you up, are we?’ Kate asked. ‘Let’s get you guys to your accommodation so you can have a rest. Come on, kids!’ Kate and Terri waited at the bottom of the wooden ladder for Bindi and Robert to clamber down.

  Just then Kate’s mobile rang. She pulled it from her jeans pocket. ‘Excuse me a minute.’

  As Kate talked into the phone, the three Irwins looked out over the fields. Cambodia was humid and tropical, and they were beginning to droop as the heat of the day intensified.

  Kate finished the call. She looked worried.

  ‘Everything okay?’ enquired Terri.

  Kate looked thoughtful before replying. ‘That was a call from a volunteer in Mondulkiri. There have been reports of elephants raiding crops and the locals aren’t happy.’

  ‘Sounds serious, Kate. Will they need you there?’ asked Terri.

  She nodded. ‘And the sooner, the better. I was planning to go after your visit but …’

  ‘Don’t worry about us,’ said Terri. ‘The elephants are the number one priority. Besides, we’d love to come with you.’

  Kate turned to look at Bindi and Robert, who were already giving her the thumbs up. ‘Mondulkiri, here we come!’ Bindi said.

  After staying the night in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, the Irwins and Kate had risen early to begin the long and hazardous four-wheel drive trip to Mondulkiri. It had taken most of the day just to get to the base of the mountainous region, and as they travelled north, it became humid and wet. Their guide and driver, a local man named Din, came from a hill tribe called the Bunong.

  The road became especially bumpy once they started climbing up the mountain roads, and Kate reassured them after a tight corner turn. ‘Don’t worry. Din knows these roads like the back of his hand.’ Unfortunately, no sooner were the words out of her mouth than Din slammed on the brakes. The jeep skidded sideways and off the wet road before landing in a ditch.

  Once they were sure that nobody was hurt, Bindi stuck her head out of the window to see what had caused the sudden braking. ‘We’ve got company,’ she
whispered. A beautiful large Asian elephant had stepped out of the jungle and onto the road.

  Everyone inside sat very still, completely mesmerised. It wasn’t every day you got to see an elephant wandering around in the wild! He was deeply wrinkled and underneath his long eyelashes his eyes looked wise, as if he had seen many things in his life.

  ‘You beauty!’ declared Robert.

  The elephant dismissed them with a flick of his short tail and graciously carried on across the road, disappearing into the thick foliage. In no time at all he had moved out of sight.

  ‘Crikey!’ said Bindi.

  ‘Double crikey!’ said Robert. ‘I wonder if he’s the elephant that’s been having late-night snacks?’

  Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘We’ll soon find out.’ She turned to Din. ‘Thanks for being so quick-witted. I would never have seen him coming out of nowhere like that.’

  ‘We Bunong have been living among the elephants for many generations,’ explained Din. ‘They are very much a part of our community and our people.’

  Din started the engine again but the jeep wouldn’t budge. Red mud slung up on either side of the jeep as the tyres skidded, sinking deeper into the mud. The jeep was soon bogged to its axles.

  Kate checked her watch. ‘We’re running out of daylight hours. Let’s leave the car here and keep going on foot. I don’t want to waste any more time. I’ll phone for someone from town to tow it in the morning.’

  The Irwins hopped out and began unpacking their gear from the jeep. It would take a couple of hours to trek through the jungle to the little Bunong village where they would be staying. The group made their way on foot through the dense forest. There was a track with enough room to follow, one behind the other. The air was cooler up in the mountains, Bindi noticed with relief; it would make for easier walking. She took in her surroundings as they walked. This was real jungle. Vines as thick as her body intertwined tree trunks and other vines. The colours seemed so vibrant. The forest was lush green and the soil was so red it stained the trees.

  As they continued the trek, Kate explained a little about the area to them as they walked. ‘Mondulkiri is known as a magical place full of natural beauty. The Bunong people have been living in these hills and jungles for centuries in harmony with elephants.’

  ‘So why would there only be trouble now with the elephants in this area?’ asked Bindi.

  Kate looked to Din and invited him to answer.

  ‘In recent years we Bunong have found our way of life increasingly under threat.’ He grew serious. ‘It’s not just the elephants encroaching on our crops either. Once, we were isolated, but it seems more people come here every day. We have already lost some of our land and forest to the government and big companies. They say they need the land for mining, logging, plantations and road development. What choice do we have?’

  Bindi looked around at the jungle, teeming with life. She hated to think of this unique area being destroyed and of the Bunong people losing their way of life.

  Kate continued. ‘As the elephant’s habitat shrinks, elephants and humans come into conflict as elephants raid crop fields and destroy homes and property.’

  Bindi and Robert exchanged a glance. This didn’t sound good.

  Din added, ‘But human–elephant conflict isn’t the only cause of declining Asian elephant populations. The threat of poaching and trophy hunting is another reason.’

  Robert nodded. ‘I know all about trophy hunting! I don’t understand why people think it’s a good idea to own a stool made from an elephant’s foot.’

  Bindi shook her head in agreement. ‘It’s totally awful!’

  They trekked along in thoughtful silence and eventually, just as the sun was setting, they arrived in a very pretty little village.

  Din was met by an elder who spoke in rapid Bunong. Din translated. ‘An elephant has again raided crops. The villagers are angry and want to hunt the creature tonight before more damage is done.’

  ‘Please, Din, convince them not to do anything tonight,’ pleaded Kate. ‘Tell them that I can show them how protect their crops without hurting the elephants. I understand how important your rice, coffee, rubber and fruit crops are.’

  Din spoke to the villagers and after a tense few moments he nodded to Kate. ‘They will wait.’

  The weary travellers were shown to tents on Din’s land. ‘Get a good night’s rest,’ advised Kate. ‘You’re going to need it. Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do!’

  It was an early start the next morning. Bindi, Robert, Terri and Kate joined Din and his family for breakfast. He lived in a traditional dome-shaped house made of bamboo, with a roof of grass. They started the day with a delicious selection of wild fruits, local honey and rice. There was no time to linger in the already humid morning as Kate was anxious to meet the farmers and begin work.

  They made their way by foot through the village, passing many other similar traditional Bunong houses but also some more modern dwellings. They wound their way down more dirt roads out into the fields by a small banana plantation, where a group of farmers had gathered to hear what Kate had to say. With Din acting as interpreter, Kate explained that it was possible to stop the hungry elephants through changing the way they farmed.

  ‘To begin with, we need to look at protecting your land and we can do this by building wooden watchtowers, erecting trip-wires and using deterrents such as scarecrows and noise systems. Elephants don’t like noise and they would also prefer to avoid humans if they can. We can string up a collection of pots and pans or anything that would make a loud noise if an elephant knocked into it by mistake.’

  The villagers seemed encouraged by what Kate had to say, but they also had concerns. Din explained, ‘This will all cost money, and the farmers want to know who will pay.’

  Terri nodded. ‘Of course. We should have made that clear from the beginning. The Asian Elephant Conservation Foundation will be funding this.’

  After Din explained that the farmers wouldn’t have to pay, several locals were eager to begin building a watchtower right away.

  Kate began delegating. ‘Terri, can I leave you in charge of the building party? The rest of us are going to spend some time in the fields.’

  ‘Sure thing!’ Terri went with some of the villagers to find the timber they would use to build with.

  ‘What can we do to help?’ asked Bindi. She was excited about the project and eager to pitch in too.

  Kate turned back to the others. ‘Elephants don’t like chilli. It doesn’t taste as good to them as bananas. We can build fences and string them with chilli plants, sprinkle chilli powder and rope off areas using chilli ropes.’ Kate pointed to the supplies which had arrived that morning from Cardamom. ‘We can also hang up hammocks complete with scarecrows and hats so that the elephants think there are people in the fields.’

  The groups headed out into the fields and work on fences began. Bindi found it very relaxing to be helping out in the rice fields. Most of the farmers were friendly and enthusiastic about the plan. She hoped for the sake of everyone, especially the elephants, that it would work!

  They had all been working for most of the morning when the high-pitched revs of an expensive-looking dirt bike disturbed the workers. Bindi looked up to see it roaring alongside the fields. The young rider had the throttle wide open and was going too fast!

  Din shook his head in dismay. When the young rider fishtailed around a bend in the track and threw the bike up into a wheelie, he almost lost control.

  ‘What a show-off,’ thought Bindi.

  The bike veered off the road and skidded over some of the crops. Din was furious. He ran up to the startled driver and shook his fist, yelling.

  Bindi nudged Robert. ‘I don’t understand the language but that kid is getting a telling-off!’

  ‘Yep, I’d rather be me than him right now,’ agreed Robert.

  As the young man got back on his bike, he tore off again in a cloud of red dust, sending clumps of dirt into the ai
r as he went.

  Din returned to the fence. ‘These young people,’ he explained to Bindi and Robert, ‘they only care about making fast money. They don’t want to learn farming or how to work the land.’

  Bindi was beginning to realise that there was so much more going on in this village than problems with the elephants!

  After a delicious lunch of amok trey – fish wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, with a generous serving of rice, it was time to take a break from the midday heat. While Terri and Kate discussed the plans for the afternoon’s work, Robert and Bindi had other ideas. They had made friends with a young teenager named Tri who had been working in the fields alongside them. Tri had invited them to come along to take one of the domestic elephants, who Tri called Chenda, to a nearby waterfall for a drink.

  It was only seven years ago that Mondulkiri started to get cars, motorbikes or even roads. Before this elephants were used for transport through the forest and for farm work. There was usually only one or two families in charge of elephant care, and Tri’s family was one of these. Tri worked as a mahout, which meant he was an elephant keeper.

  Tri was seventeen, tall and lanky, with a huge smile that lit up his face. He was shy and seemed more at ease with animals than people. As they made their way through the forest, Bindi admired Tri’s way with his elephant. Chenda had been wearing a basket earlier filled with wood for the fence but now she was untethered. Tri used a short bamboo cane to direct Chenda by tapping her legs or the side of her body. He was very gentle with the giant creature and they seemed fond of each other.

  As they left behind the farm lands and entered thick jungle, Bindi noticed what appeared to be a disused mining site. It looked like one of the many ancient temples they had seen in other parts of Cambodia that has been reclaimed by the jungle. Old and rusty machinery lay almost hidden among thick strings of vines. It was amazing to see how nature just took over and covered the human scars left on the landscape.