As she began to saw carefully through the ropes binding the calf, a sudden rustling sound made her freeze, knife poised mid-air. She held her breath, heart pounding in her ears, listening as one of the poachers grumbled loudly. “We’ve been here too long. The boss isn’t going to like it if we don’t get moving soon.”
Just as Amara severed the last strand of rope, the calf let out a soft, almost relieved whimper. She placed a calming hand on its quivering side, hoping to soothe it enough to quietly slip away together. But the young elephant had other ideas.