Being a Dad in the Animal World
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In the presence of humans armed with absolute high technology, even the mightiest beasts are powerless.
Fortunately, the nearby bushes were dense enough that for a while, they could not spot Bai Yi and the cubs.
Bai Yi became alert, and Jason also heard the noise. The two male lions woke first while Jason remained puzzled.
Perhaps it was because the documentary crew had been constantly lingering around that Jason did not seem inclined to leave.
He merely listened to the sounds and, upon hearing human voices, let down his guard and lay down to sleep once more.
If Bai Yi were not here, the poachers would surely succeed since the cubs had no defenses against humans.
He suddenly realized why the documentary crew had not been lingering around lately; he had not even seen the delightful faces of his colleagues for an entire week.
No matter the profession, anyone who works with wild animals must avoid getting too close, for excessive familiarity can cause the animals to lose their natural wariness of humans.
Such behavior conveniently provides an opportunity for poachers.
Sometimes, animals trust humans more sincerely than they trust their own kind.
All creatures possess their own spirit, whereas poachers have none.
They are cruel and greedy, showing no reverence for life.
In our country's Kekexili, those adorable Tibetan antelopes were all killed by poachers, their numbers plummeting from millions to fewer than ten thousand and bringing them to the brink of extinction.
The methods of slaughter were exceptionally brutal.
Meanwhile, the animals in the wildlife reserves still face the same situation.
It is well known that this is a hunting ban area; however, for their own gain and due to their corrupt hearts, they choose to target these animals.
Bai Yi gently bit the three little ones awake and dared not make a sound, for if the poachers discovered them, the fate of his entire family would likely be sealed.
Jason watched as Bai Yi woke the three little ones, looking somewhat puzzled.
Bai Yi’s voice was very low as he softly hummed, signaling for them to follow him.
The cubs, having followed Bai Yi for a long time, eventually understood what he meant.
It was the middle of the night, and the cubs did not fully comprehend; having their sleep interrupted left them quite displeased.
Goudan, known for his irritable temperament, let out a dissatisfied sound. Although his voice was very soft, it still sent a chill through Bai Yi.
They would inevitably make some noise when leaving the bushes, and those people would certainly notice.
Bai Yi clamped onto the back of Goudan’s neck and carried him in his mouth to keep him silent.
However, the commotion in the bushes had already been noticed by the poachers, and soon their voices could be heard again.
"There is movement inside. Let's surround them on all sides"
The cubs did not understand human language, though Bai Yi did.
Even though their voices were already very low, the lion’s keen hearing still picked them up.
It could even detect the faint footsteps of their approach.
The bushes were dense, and Bai Yi led the cubs through the front while the sound of the poachers’ footsteps soon reached their ears.
Unsurprisingly, they had likely encircled the bushes, so today, he would be unable to escape with his cubs.
Bai Yi had no choice but to stop; he dropped Goudan and signaled Jason to lie down.
Jason was momentarily stunned before lying down, and Isa along with Wangcai also crouched beside Bai Yi.
Bai Yi let out a quiet, low roar. He was unsure whether the cubs understood his intention, but as long as they stayed hidden in the bushes, he could go out alone to lure the poachers away and perhaps secure a chance for their survival.
There were still several hours until dawn, and all the documentary crew’s equipment had been packed up. Bai Yi felt that this situation was utterly hopeless.
He was unafraid of the lion pride and other fierce beasts, yet the mere thought of poachers sent shivers down his spine.
Poachers have no heart; they not only slaughter animals but sometimes even spare no one, including humans.
Many wildlife protectors lose their lives to poachers every year.
Bai Yi sensed their footsteps drawing near, and at that moment, he had no choice but to risk everything. They had confidently surrounded his family’s dwelling, a sign that their preparations were foolproof.
He was the prime target; once he ran, the poachers would surely chase him and abandon the cubs.
Bai Yi crouched low on the ground, his ears pressed flat as he formulated a plan for a long sprint.
As long as he ran fast enough, the bullets would not be able to catch him.
The cubs remained behind as he lay low, and then, with a single leap, Bai Yi burst out of the bushes. Outside, two poachers were startled and cursed, "ohshit!"
Bai Yi roared at them in anger, as if to launch an attack, and the poachers began to draw their guns.
Seeing this, Bai Yi hurriedly turned and ran away.
He heard one of the poachers behind exclaim in urgency, "He ran! The male lion the employer wanted has run! Don't worry about those little ones; if we lose this one, the loss will be huge!"
Elsewhere, the two hunters in the blockade had no choice but to pursue.
Gunshots rang out behind Bai Yi, with bullets striking near his feet, leaving him both tense and terrified.
Only one thought remained in his mind: keep moving, keep moving. As long as I maneuver skillfully, they will not be able to hit me!
He did not run in a straight line; instead, he darted in curves, making it impossible for the hunters to predict his movements.
Bullets whizzed past him in a deadly race against time.
Bai Yi never expected that in his lifetime he would experience something so thrilling. He had only ever seen such a scene in movies.
Bai Yi unleashed the momentum of a 100-meter champion and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
However, his four legs could not match the speed of four wheels and soon they arrived by car.
Gunshots rang out, startling both the nearby animals and the documentary crew camped two kilometers away.
It even alerted the wildlife reserve personnel.
Meeting poachers is extremely dangerous for the documentary crew, so as soon as they sensed something was wrong they immediately sought assistance from the reserve personnel.
They grabbed their guns and drove towards the source of the sound.
Based on the direction of the noise, the documentary crew deduced that it was the habitat of Bai Yi’s family. They were filled with worry, anxiety and deep fear.
Poachers are desperate criminals who treat life as insignificant; in their eyes, both animals and humans are expendable.
Though they were terrified, their desire to know about Bai Yi’s situation compelled them to follow. They even planned to expose the poachers’ true faces so that everyone could see the real nature of these beasts.
The European lady in charge turned on the live broadcast in the middle of the night. Her face was tense and fearful, and the night wind had her hair in disarray.
The audience expected the live stream to run from about 6:30 in the morning to 10:30 in the evening, which meant there were very few viewers at midnight.
As soon as the stream went live, many night owls joined in and soon there were more than a thousand viewers.
They thought they must be mistaken.
"Live streaming in the middle of the night? This is the first time since losing the cubs!"
The host’s voice was trembling as she said "Gunshots rang out in the reserve in the middle of the night. We were all awakened by the noise. If our guess is correct, poachers have appeared in the reserve. We are rushing to the scene with the reserve personnel. The situation is extremely dire!"
Upon hearing the word "poachers" the viewers immediately began to curse vehemently.
"Once again poachers! When will these poachers finally be eradicated!"
"They must not be after Bai Yi’s family! If they dare harm Bai Yi, I will grab my gun and take them on! I can drive over there!"
"Host, answer please: is their target Bai Yi’s family?"
The host was also unsure and could only say "Judging from the direction of the sound, it is likely the habitat of Bai Yi’s family. They just arrived here yesterday."
This was serious indeed. Bai Yi’s influence online was even greater than that of some celebrities, and the poachers’ actions had completely infuriated netizens!
They immediately began contacting the local police and even made international calls to report the incident. Their emotions were extremely heightened.
When the documentary crew and reserve staff, armed with guns, arrived at the bushes where Bai Yi was believed to reside, they discovered that his family was nowhere to be found.
They had no option but to keep moving forward.
Throughout the journey, they prayed that Bai Yi’s family would remain safe.
Exhausted from the chase, Bai Yi ran into a lion pride’s territory.
Four poachers were chasing him, and one of his hind legs was hit by a gunshot that tore his fur.
At this point, humans proved more frightening than animals, so he no longer feared the lion pride.
He sprinted towards the lion pride’s territory, startling the lions that were resting.
This turned out to be a lion pride composed of three adult males, over ten lionesses, and more than a dozen subadult males and cubs.
Bai Yi effectively led the poachers right into the heart of this enormous lion pride’s territory.
He halted, and the poachers also stopped. They got out of their cars, seemingly unaware of the peril lurking behind them.
Once the lion pride detected Bai Yi, they had already hidden themselves in the grass.
They did not anticipate encountering four humans; whoever trespasses into their territory must pay with their life.
The three male lions crept forward on all fours, and with the four poachers having their backs turned, it was an excellent opportunity to strike.
The three male lions, filled with rage, charged directly at the poachers’ backs. Simultaneously, the lionesses and subadult males surged forward, creating a chaotic scene.
Realizing he could not linger, Bai Yi knew that once the lion pride had dealt with the poachers, they would target him next. He slipped through the territory, planning to circle back to find Jason and the three cubs.
Gunshots echoed from about five li away, and the reserve staff knew that there was a vast lion pride territory in that area. If the poachers succeeded, they would reap enormous gains.
They drove on in frantic haste, completely failing to see any sign of Bai Yi’s family.
The live stream’s viewership continued to swell, with many claiming they had already dialed the international emergency hotline, urging the documentary crew to rescue Bai Yi’s family no matter what.
They did not want the "film and then everyone dies" curse to repeat itself.
The host kept reporting the situation until they reached their destination.
From a distance, they caught a strong whiff of blood, which made everyone even more anxious and fearful.
Only when the vehicle’s lights revealed the origin of the blood scent did everyone in the car fall silent in shock.
They saw human remains scattered about, gnawed and dismembered, with severed arms and legs lying everywhere.
It was a terrifying sight, and everyone in the car fell into a stunned silence.
Those who violate nature will eventually be punished by it.
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