The ecosystem was tame, rich, and full of life. The plains of Africa were lush with the sounds of grasshopper buzzard's screeching in the air. Lions perched atop a broad plateau, staring hungrily into the distance and giraffe's grazed from the treetops as a calf peered upwards, anxiously awaiting for any scraps of leaves to fall down to its reach.
Various hippopotami swam in a large watering hole, their mouths gaping as two males fought for a lone female, viciously splashing up water onto the banks as a herd of gazelle skipped across the tall grasslands and elephants bellowed, sounding their arrival.
"It's beautiful, isn't it," the safari tour guide proclaimed into a CB radio mounted to the dashboard. A plethora of cheers rang out from the tourists situated inside the vehicle as they admired the impressive view. The bright rays of the sun shone down illuminating the guide's silver name tag fastened neatly onto his shirt pocket. The name: Bomani was engraved in large bold text on the metal surface of the label, which reflected light onto the ceiling of the vehicle.
Bomani was a fairly older man, in his mid to late forties, his dark skin glistened in the overwhelming heat as sweat dripped from his brow, a typical day for him in the African outback. He was dressed fairly casually, wearing a pair of tan khaki shorts and brown work boots, his cotton vest was embroidered with the words: 'Mani Tours' across the back. Being that he was a native citizen to the department of Niari, a sub section located inside of the Republic of the Congo and one of the most serene places on the planet, he was used to the unbearable weather. It had been five years, five long years since he first began his private 'Mani Tours' in the heart of South Africa, and despite the heatwave pounding above
him, he had always thought that being an African tour guide had many more perks than it did drawbacks. Not to mention that his love for animals which began as a young child had always kept him close to the savannah.
"Welcome to Mani Tours, my name is Bomani Akachi and I'll be your guide into the luscious and tropical world of South Africa. On our journey today, we'll be seeing a variety of animals that call this continent home. From our towering giraffes to our ferocious lions, there is always something to discover in this breathtaking environment. Before we begin our adventure, I ask that you please keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and you must be seated while the car is in motion. Once we have come to a complete stop I encourage you to stand up and take as many pictures as you like, although flash photography is strictly prohibited on this tour. But most importantly, enjoy yourselves, we're in the most diverse region in Africa after all," he announced over the loudspeaker. His strong accent made it difficult to distinguish exactly what he was saying.
The white Toyota Land Cruiser sputtered and gurgled as it began it's trek through the undergrowth, bouncing on the uneven terrain as dust blew from the vehicle. It was clearly an older model cruiser, being that it had a multitude of scratch marks and torn seating from years of operation. Black smoke escaped from the exhaust pipes as the car began to creep underneath a stunted acacia tree and ease to a moderate stop.
Ahead of them sat a paltry green stained lake and dozens of achromatic birds hunted in the murky water. The natural landscape was interrupted as Bomani clicked in on the small handheld radio which sounded overhead.
"Here are the first animals on our tour. These birds are called Yellow-billed storks or wood storks as we like to call 'em. Their diet consists mostly of fish, frogs, snakes and sometimes even other birds. The wood stork's have this fascinating technique to catch their prey. They use one foot to stir up the water, which helps them to flush out it's victim, and with a quick jolt of their neck they catch and devour their prey," he informed.
“Fascinating," an older gentlemen exclaimed, snapping a photograph on his digital camera just as one of the birds submerged it's head deep into the water and extracted a silver kingklip and devoured it whole.
End Part 1
Copyright © 2016 Brycen Roberts
Map copyright © 2015 Josh Beames
Dinosaur illustrations copyright © 2015 by Brycen Roberts
Co-Writer: Thomas Fishenden
Editor: Nicolette Ayers
Artists: William Wisson-Burton & Sourav Sarkar