Melodie….By – Mary Pattison
Melodie Jane was a big girl by anyone’s standard; she was always getting bullied at nursery school because of her overweight bulk. But all that had stopped when she was transferred to the nursery area where she had developed the sweetest nature of any of the young chimps in the nursery enclosure. The newest addition was Jo Jo a tiny scrap of a thing only five weeks old who had spent the last few weeks lying on her tummy and hugging her own special “comfort cushion.”
Most of the veterinary staff was young dedicated African trainees who would willingly forego an increase in salary to care for the vulnerable little chimps who arrived for emergency care. Their expertise was widely recognised and they became the premier veterinary hospital for wild animals from all over the world.
The afternoon was peaceful, warm and balmy when Melodie stopped in her tracks; she sniffed the air suspiciously and knew that all was not well.
Suddenly the relaxed peace of the enclosure was rent with screams of terror from both the staff and animals as the sanctuary was invaded by men with guns, firing indiscriminately at everyone and everything that moved. Melody grabbed little Jo Jo and made her way to her own secret hiding place.
When the violence had finally stopped the two animals emerged fro their hiding place to a scene of unmitigated horror. Melodie and baby Jo Jo fled into the surrounding Jungle, desperately trying to wipe out the memory of the carnage they had witnessed when the men with guns came to call. It was a picture that would live with Melodie for the rest of her life. Poor little Jo Jo couldn’t stand the strain of the terror and fell asleep in Melodies arms as she crashed through the dense jungle mad with grief and filled with rage for the men with guns. She was determined to seek revenge and followed the scent of the killers, knowing that she would never give up her quest until every one of them had paid the full price.
It was a long time before word of the massacre reached our regional office; there had been many rumours from up country of Chimps on the rampage. A female leader seemed to come and go at will, more like a “Willow the wisp” than a wild animal. But stories which circulated told of a chimp who only stalked the gangs of vicious poachers who had invaded the north of the country and killed for pleasure. All other natives and Europeans only saw her in the far distance and she only killed one member of the gang at a time. It was almost as if she was waging her own war of terror on the gang, never knowing where she would strike next.
It was quite strange that once all the poachers had been eliminated, Melodie was never seen again.
Melodie Jane was a big girl by anyone’s standard; she was always getting bullied at nursery school because of her overweight bulk. But all that had stopped when she was transferred to the nursery area where she had developed the sweetest nature of any of the young chimps in the nursery enclosure. The newest addition was Jo Jo a tiny scrap of a thing only five weeks old who had spent the last few weeks lying on her tummy and hugging her own special “comfort cushion.”
Most of the veterinary staff was young dedicated African trainees who would willingly forego an increase in salary to care for the vulnerable little chimps who arrived for emergency care. Their expertise was widely recognised and they became the premier veterinary hospital for wild animals from all over the world.
The afternoon was peaceful, warm and balmy when Melodie stopped in her tracks; she sniffed the air suspiciously and knew that all was not well.
Suddenly the relaxed peace of the enclosure was rent with screams of terror from both the staff and animals as the sanctuary was invaded by men with guns, firing indiscriminately at everyone and everything that moved. Melody grabbed little Jo Jo and made her way to her own secret hiding place.
When the violence had finally stopped the two animals emerged fro their hiding place to a scene of unmitigated horror. Melodie and baby Jo Jo fled into the surrounding Jungle, desperately trying to wipe out the memory of the carnage they had witnessed when the men with guns came to call. It was a picture that would live with Melodie for the rest of her life. Poor little Jo Jo couldn’t stand the strain of the terror and fell asleep in Melodies arms as she crashed through the dense jungle mad with grief and filled with rage for the men with guns. She was determined to seek revenge and followed the scent of the killers, knowing that she would never give up her quest until every one of them had paid the full price.
It was a long time before word of the massacre reached our regional office; there had been many rumours from up country of Chimps on the rampage. A female leader seemed to come and go at will, more like a “Willow the wisp” than a wild animal. But stories which circulated told of a chimp who only stalked the gangs of vicious poachers who had invaded the north of the country and killed for pleasure. All other natives and Europeans only saw her in the far distance and she only killed one member of the gang at a time. It was almost as if she was waging her own war of terror on the gang, never knowing where she would strike next.
It was quite strange that once all the poachers had been eliminated, Melodie was never seen again.