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  Bindi Wildlife Adventures 20: Panda-monium

  ePub ISBN 9781742744582

  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: Panda-monium / Bindi Irwin, Ellie Browne

  ISBN: 978 1 86471 837 9 (pbk.)

  Series: Irwin, Bindi, 1998– Bindi wildlife adventures; 20.

  Target audience: For primary school age

  Other authors/contributors: Browne, Ellie

  Dewey number: A823.4

  Cover photograph © Australia Zoo

  Cover and internal design by Christabella Designs

  Typeset and eBook production by Midland Typesetters, Australia

  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

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Animal Fact File

  Bindi Wildlife Adventures Series

  Become a Wildlife Warrior!

  Glinting ice palaces floated in the golden haze above the horizon. Bindi had never seen such an awesome, magical sight. Here, in the Himalayas, she was on top of the world – literally.

  ‘Which one is Kangchenjunga?’ she called to her friends.

  ‘That one there.’ Chandra, their guide, pointed to a magnificent white peak that towered above the rest. ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’

  Bindi nodded. Then she looked back the way they had come. Below, the ancient rocky steps snaked down the steep slope. Mountains rose in every direction, some covered in lush forest, others cleared for farming. There was not a road to be seen, nor a car – not even another human. The only sounds to be heard were bird- song and the soft lowing of the cattle.

  ‘It sure is spectacular,’ said Vicki. She grinned wickedly at Bindi. ‘Almost as spectacular as the sight of a big pile of red panda poo!’

  Bindi laughed. Vicki was the red panda keeper at Australia Zoo and very fond of her charges.

  ‘Personally, I’d prefer the sight of a red panda. But I guess some poo would do!’ Bindi pulled out her water bottle, twisted off the lid and took a swig. Trekking in the Himalayas was thirsty work!

  Bindi and Vicki were here in eastern Nepal helping Chandra gather information on red pandas. Chandra was an ecologist from the nearby town of Ilam. He was hoping to set up the world’s first red panda sanctuary in these mountains, but before he could do that, they had to prove to people that there really were red pandas living here in the forest. Panda poo would be the evidence they needed to convince the local people to set aside some of the community forest for a panda sanctuary.

  ‘Ready?’ Chandra said when Bindi had put away her drink bottle. ‘There’s still a bit of a way to go and we shouldn’t get back too late.’

  Bindi gave a mock salute. Then they set off again, slowly making their way up the stony steps.

  The steps led up to a ridge, where the trail continued. At last Chandra stopped by a rhododendron the size of a tree and waited for his companions to catch up. Then they left the trail and struck off into the forest.

  They climbed higher, moving as quietly as they could. Bindi began to notice thickets of bamboo – the red panda’s preferred dinner. She thought of Yoddah and Pasang, the red pandas who lived at Australia Zoo. She was certain they were two of the cutest animals in the world, with their button black noses, fluffy ears and stunning red fur. How they would love all this fresh bamboo!

  Bindi clambered over a hefty log that was once a mighty yew tree. She stopped and peered into the forest to her left. Then she saw it. It was not far off, just a few metres, but was almost hidden by leaves.

  She took a closer look. Was it? Could it be? Slowly, she moved towards it, stepping silently through the undergrowth.

  Yes! She’d know it anywhere! Red panda poo!

  Bindi, Vicki and Chandra found several more little piles of red panda droppings, enough to convince them that there were quite a few of the animals living in this part of the forest. They took photos and noted down where they found the poo, so they would have a proper record of their findings.

  While they were working they kept their eyes out for red pandas. But no such luck. The animals were staying well out of sight, probably asleep high in trees even deeper in the forest.

  After a quick lunch on the stone steps the three trekkers headed back. Chandra was expected at a three o’clock meeting with the local members of the Village Committee. He planned to present the evidence they’d collected and convince the villagers to help set up a red panda sanctuary.

  At last they came to the first house in the village, which was the teahouse where they were staying. When Bindi first saw it the day before she thought it looked like something from a fairytale, with its timber carvings and bright blue railing along a wide, rickety verandah. Colourful prayer flags fluttered from the gables.

  Keen to get to the meeting, Chandra strode straight past.

  Bindi and Vicki looked at each and laughed. They had never known anyone to walk as quickly as Chandra.

  ‘Good luck!’ Bindi called out.

  Chandra stopped and turned.

  ‘Exactly where is the meeting?’ Vicki asked as she pulled the pack off her back.

  ‘In the big house at the other end of the village,’ Chandra said. ‘It belongs to Mr Ming-Ma, the head of the committee.’

  Bindi raised an eyebrow. ‘Sounds like he’s the man to talk to,’ she said.

  ‘Yes. By all reports he is a very clever fellow.’ Chandra clasped his hands together. ‘Let’s hope I return with good news.’ He bowed, then set off again, walking even more quickly than before.

  Exhausted, Bindi and Vicki slowly climbed the old wooden stairs to the teahouse verandah.

  They were met b
y a smiling Finju Sherpa, the teahouse manager. ‘Good afternoon!’ he said. ‘Anyone for tea?’

  After Vicki and Bindi had freshened up, Finju poured three cups of hot milky brew, and sat down at the table on the verandah with his two guests. ‘I understand you have come from Australia to see some red pandas?’ He smiled. ‘News travels fast in our little village.’

  Vicki explained their mission and told the teahouse manager about Chandra’s meeting with the local leaders.

  Finju listened intently, nodding now and then.

  ‘Have you seen any red pandas around here lately, Finju?’ Bindi asked, before taking a sip of tea.

  Finju shook his head. ‘Not lately. But I believe they’re still out there,’ he said. ‘The trouble is, dogs and hawks do see them and so it makes them easy prey.’

  Bindi shuddered. She’d read about this problem. When people cleared bamboo and felled trees, predators like dogs and hawks could more easily see – and catch – the pandas.

  At that moment Vicki jumped to her feet. ‘Chandra’s back!’

  Bindi looked up to see Chandra walking along the road towards them. ‘I hope he convinced them,’ she said to Finju and Vicki. ‘Red pandas really need their own sanctuary so they can be safe from all those things.’

  Crossing not only her fingers on both hands but her toes on both feet as well, Bindi waited for Chandra to arrive.

  Chandra climbed the stairs, his face drawn. Finju showed him to a chair and poured him a cup of tea.

  Bindi couldn’t hold out any longer. Her heart was pounding with anxiety. ‘What did they say?’

  Chandra drank his tea in silence for a moment. Finally, he spoke. ‘Mr Ming-Ma said that they don’t need a sanctuary because there are no pandas in the forest.’

  ‘No pandas?’ Vicki was incredulous. ‘Chandra, what about our evidence?’

  ‘That’s the worst bit. He said we’d made it all up. That we wouldn’t know panda droppings if we fell into them.’

  Bindi was shocked. ‘No one knows panda poo better than Vicki,’ she said vehemently.

  Chandra shook his head. ‘Try telling that to Mr Ming-Ma.’

  He went back to drinking his tea. When he’d finished he turned to Finju. ‘What can you tell us about this Ming-Ma? The villagers seem to respect him. And he was very persuasive at the meeting . . .’

  Finju rested his chin on his hands. He was no longer smiling. ‘They do respect him,’ he said. ‘But a lot of that respect is due to his wealth and power. Chetan Ming-Ma owns more land and cattle than anyone else. And because he owns so many cattle, he needs a lot of bamboo to feed them. He also needs a lot of timber to burn to make cheese, which he sells down in the town. So you see, he wants to be able to harvest bamboo and timber from any part of the forest whenever he likes.’

  ‘But does everyone agree with him?’ Bindi didn’t see why just one person should have all the say.

  ‘Not everyone,’ Chandra replied. ‘There was a woman at the meeting called Maya. She believed me and was very keen to help.’

  ‘Maya is my sister,’ Finju said.

  ‘Ah!’ Chandra said. ‘Well, Maya was very helpful. But the others seemed too frightened to disagree with Mr Ming-Ma.’

  ‘Why, I wonder?’ Bindi shook her head.

  Finju sighed. ‘Everyone is very poor – you may have noticed?’ He looked around at the visitors, who nodded. ‘And many people work for him – including my family.’ Finju slapped his forehead. ‘Which reminds me!’

  He peered inside and called out something in Sherpa. Bindi turned around to see who was there.

  A boy she hadn’t seen before appeared in the doorway. He was clutching a faded blue ball.

  ‘Come and meet the visitors.’ Finju gestured to the boy. ‘This is my son, Wangchuk.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you,’ the boy said in crisp English.

  ‘Wangchuk is one of many in the village who do jobs for Mr Ming-Ma,’ Finju said gravely.

  Bindi liked the look of Wangchuk, with his straight black fringe, laughing eyes and wide smile. She guessed he was about ten years old. ‘What do you do for Mr Ming-Ma?’ she asked.

  ‘I feed his best bull,’ Wangchuk said. ‘He’s locked up across the road. I give him his dinner each day.’ He laughed. ‘You should see how much he likes to eat!’

  Finju waved his son away. ‘Well you better get along and feed him now. Before he gets too grumpy.’

  Wangchuk eyed Bindi. He was still smiling. ‘He can get very cranky, Mr Ming-Ma’s bull. Very cranky. Want to come and help me feed him?’

  ‘Sure,’ Bindi said, jumping to her feet. Sitting around here wasn’t going to solve anything, and she loved feeding animals. It was one of her favourite jobs at Australia Zoo.

  Vicki crossed her arms. ‘Well be careful, Bindi. Your mother expressly instructed me to keep you away from wild bulls.’ She winked.

  ‘I can’t promise anything.’ Bindi narrowed her eyes. ‘But I hope we run into Mr Ming-Ma. I’d like to have a few words with him.’

  ‘I wish you could, Bindi,’ Chandra said seriously. ‘But unfortunately he doesn’t speak English.’

  ‘Wangchuk could translate . . .’ Bindi looked across at her new friend.

  Wangchuk smiled but said nothing. Then he turned and disappeared down the stairs, bouncing his ball as he went.

  The bull, whose name was Tom, was magnificent, with a silky smooth coat and rippling muscles. But what a temper! He stamped the ground and snorted impatiently as Wangchuk prepared his dinner.

  ‘Why don’t you jump in and feed him by hand?’ Wangchuk suggested to Bindi in an innocent voice.

  Bindi laughed and wagged her finger at her new friend. ‘I’m not falling for that one! You’re as bad as my brother! Robert’s always playing jokes.’

  Wangchuk threw the fodder over the stone fence. ‘So why do you care about red pandas?’ he asked.

  Tom gave another loud snort and began to eat.

  ‘I care about all animals,’ Bindi said, ‘but I particularly love red pandas, because we have two absolutely gorgeous ones at our zoo in Australia!’

  She stopped and looked hard at Wangchuk. He was a local. He’d know the area well. ‘So have you seen any red pandas in the forest near here?’

  Wangchuk shrugged. ‘I can’t say.’

  ‘Why not?’ Bindi asked.

  Wangchuk shook his head. He would speak no more.

  The kids watched in silence as Tom hoovered up his dinner. But Bindi’s mind was ticking like a stopwatch. Why couldn’t Wangchuk say anything? Had Mr Ming-Ma told him not to?

  Bindi was quietly relieved that they hadn’t run into Mr Ming-Ma while they were feeding Tom. She’d decided it would be better not to confront the man until she had more evidence that there really were pandas in the forest worth protecting. Also, she didn’t want to get Wangchuk into trouble. For one thing, she needed his help.

  So on the walk back to the teahouse, she begged her friend to go with them into the forest the following day.

  ‘We really need a local like you to guide us,’ she said.

  Wangchuk had been gently kicking his ball as he walked. Now he booted it into the verge.

  Bindi pressed on. ‘Even if you don’t know where the pandas are, you know the area much better than the rest of us, including Chandra.’

  Wangchuk was silent.

  ‘Pleeease?’

  Wangchuk retrieved his ball and looked up at Bindi. This time he wasn’t smiling. ‘Okay. But we need to leave early.’

  ‘Thank you!’ Bindi clapped her hands. She was sure Wangchuk knew more about the whereabouts of the pandas than he was letting on. Tomorrow she was going to find out how much.

  At six the next morning Bindi and Vicki were on the teahouse verandah ready to go. The tempera
ture had dropped overnight, and Bindi was in her down jacket and new Nepali woollen cap she’d bought in Kathmandu.

  Chandra, also in his warmest clothes, joined them.

  A minute or two later Wangchuk appeared in the doorway, this time without his ball. He smiled by way of saying hello.

  Bindi grinned. ‘Ready?’

  Wangchuk nodded, but didn’t make a move.

  The others set off down the old stairs. Bindi looked back. Wangchuk was still in the doorway, looking up and down the road.

  Bindi scanned the area. ‘No one’s around!’ she called encouragingly.

  Wangchuk scuttled down the stairs after them. Vicki glanced from Bindi to Wangchuk, a questioning look on her face. But she made no comment, and they headed off down the trail and away from the village.

  They’d been making good progress when they heard the sound of hooves and a herd of cattle and a man appeared ahead. Wangchuk leapt into the bushes, and would only re-emerge when the man and his herd had gone.

  ‘Why are you so jumpy? Are you scared someone will see you?’ Bindi quietly asked her friend once they were on their way again.

  Wangchuk stared ahead for a moment before speaking in a low voice. ‘Everyone knows everyone else in our village – apart from the tourists or foreign visitors.’ He gave Bindi a quick smile, but he looked worried. ‘So if someone sees me, it will probably get back to Mr Ming-Ma.’

  ‘And why would that matter?’ Bindi asked.

  ‘Because if Mr Ming-Ma hears that I’m helping you, I’ll lose my job feeding Tom.’

  Two men rounded the corner up ahead. Wangchuk dived into the bushes again.

  Chandra was so far ahead he didn’t notice. Vicki frowned but kept walking. She obviously thought Wangchuk was a little odd.

  The men drew closer and Bindi saw they were each carrying a bamboo bucket. As they passed, she glanced into the buckets, but the contents were concealed by some sort of cover.

  ‘So who were those two?’ Bindi asked when Wangchuk emerged from the bushes again. The men had looked liked locals, and Bindi figured her friend would know them for sure.