It’s been days since our last meal. My cubs and I roam the denser parts of the forest avoiding the idiot Safari goers who whistle and point at us, not letting us live in peace. As I grow hungrier i lose my speed and energy to kill, i watch my children follow behind me only just mustering enough youthful energy to play with my tail; I know that if i don’t act fast, they’ll soon stop playing and become easy prey to the leopards which attempt to discreetly follow us over head, waiting for their moment to strike. Even the evenings have become less enjoyable due to our sorry situation. Usually evenings are my favourite time of the day, when all the Safaris have abandoned their searching, taking away the noise and dust of their jeeps, leaving my jungle in peace and serenity only disturbed by the calls which follow in my wake and the occasional scuffle of terrified animals fleeing my path.
The sun has really been scorning down on us the past few days, however the nights have been shivering cold. My mate has been aimlessly roaming around, absolutely useless and cut out from our lives. At night my cubs cuddle against me, taking in my body heat, and I can feel their little stomachs rumble against mine.
One day, my children began to roar with hunger, the jungle echoing with their cries. It was responded to by the revving of several engines now heading our way so I quickly hushed them and hurried them along to a lake in the middle of the forest. Birds Shrieked out their calls and hurried away, leaving us alone, wading in the cool lake attempting to quench our hunger with water. However, the taste and feel of something in our stomachs only pulled the longing knot for food more taut. I let out a huff through my nostrils in the water and watched my cubs get adorably baffled by the bubbles, leading their thoughts astray from food. At that moment one of my cubs let out a whimper, and I looked behind her to see an oddly large leopard, paw deep in the lake. The leopard had bitten off the tip of my little one’s tail and in a sudden fit of rage, I gave a loud roar and charged after the Leopard at full speed. Completely taken aback, the leopard ran as fast as it could and tripped over a fallen branch. I took a giant leap, launching myself over the branch and landing on the leopard, my long claws digging into its skin and blood streaming out. Without a second thought, I killed it and gave a loud roar, the majestic sound echoed through the woods reminding all who were watching or could hear it, that I am the queen of this jungle, and that no one in their right mind would dare attempt harming my family, or me.
That evening, my cubs and I lay peacefully under a Banyan tree, which was on the edge of a cliff, the highest point in the jungle, and I watched the jeeps exit the forest in the distance, as the forest was dipped into darkness and silence by that slowly sinking sphere of fire. My cubs played enthusiastically with my dancing tail. All felt right with my jungle.
Freyja's Musings 