The Wildlife Games

by Bindi Irwin

  About the book

  Let the Games Begin! Bindi is super-excited. She’s been wanting to work out a creative and fun way to raise money for the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, and now she’s done it. Welcome to The Wildlife Games, a one-day television extravaganza! Four young contestants, each with a big interest in wildlife and conservation, will battle against each other in a game of wits, strength and knowledge.

  About the book

  Title

  Dear Diary

  Chapter 01

  Chapter 02

  Chapter 03

  Chapter 04

  Chapter 05

  Chapter 06

  Chapter 07

  Chapter 08

  Chapter 09

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Fact File

  Also in the same series

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  Copyright

  More at Random House Australia

  DR DIANNE GAVE A HUGE SIGH AS the patient’s vital signs returned to normal. ‘She’s going to be okay, gang.’ The kangaroo on the operating table was one lucky roo. A driver on the Sunshine Coast had pulled over when he’d caught sight of the macropod limping badly on the side of a busy road. The roo was in bad shape and the driver had managed to cover her with a blanket, put her carefully in his ute and deliver her straight to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

  The vet had surmised pretty quickly that the roo had a broken hind leg, and they were able to operate. The roo had scared them halfway through the operation when she’d stopped breathing briefly, but now it seemed she was going to make it through.

  Dr Dianne finished stitching up the leg, and two vet nurses carefully transported the patient away to the recovery area. The vet called out from the operating theatre, ‘Bindi, how many more patients have we got in triage?’

  Bindi Irwin, after finishing her schoolwork for the day, had a couple of hours free and decided to lend a hand at the wildlife hospital. It had once been an avocado packing shed and now was a state-of-the-art vet hospital situated in the grounds of Australia Zoo. She was busy checking supplies in the triage area. They were getting pretty low on bandages and saline drips. She glanced over at the whiteboard that listed the day’s patients.

  ‘Okay, so we’ve got a shingleback lizard with a damaged claw, a koala with an eye infection and a carpet python –’ she looked over at the cage containing the large snake with a swollen belly – ‘who looks like his breakfast isn’t going down too well.’

  Dr Dianne tied her dark hair back into a ponytail and walked into the triage area, giving Bindi a tired smile. ‘Okay, we should be able to get them all done before the end of the day.’

  Bindi was concerned. ‘Who’s on call for tonight?’

  Dr Dianne tilted her head. ‘That would be me.’

  Bindi frowned. ‘But you were on call all last week too, weren’t you?’

  Dr Dianne nodded. ‘Well, that’s the way it is at the moment, I’m afraid.’

  Although Australia Zoo helped the wildlife hospital, the hospital had to rely on funds from the public as it received no government funding, apart from the odd local council grant. So there were times when there was enough money to buy supplies and equipment and to pay for extra help, and other times, like now, when there was not.

  Earlier on in the hot Queensland summer there’d been a spate of bushfires and, unsurprisingly, the numbers of injured wildlife increased dramatically during that time and for weeks afterwards, running down stocks of medication and equipment much faster than had been expected.

  Dr Dianne went over to the python’s cage, opened it and took out her next patient. ‘Oh, you poor thing. Don’t worry, we’ll have you feeling better in no time.’

  She grabbed the glasses from around her neck and put them on, taking a closer look at the python’s belly, feeling gently around the swelling. ‘Whatever you ate is certainly not getting broken down by your stomach acids.’

  Bindi checked the notes on her clipboard. ‘Oh, this may be why. The woman who found the snake in her chook house said a marble egg, the one she keeps in the nesting area to encourage the hens to lay there, has gone missing.’

  Dr Dianne looked the snake full in the face. ‘You ate a marble egg just because it smelled like a chicken?’

  The snake looked back, steely-eyed, obviously not willing to admit his mistake.

  ‘Well, we all make bad decisions sometimes. Come with me, and we’ll sort you out.’

  Bindi smiled as Dianne took the python through to the operating theatre. She loved Dr Dianne, and loved to see her never-ending compassion for the constant stream of animals she looked after. What she didn’t love was seeing her favourite vet look so tired all the time. Being on call 24 hours a day was exhausting, and if someone brought in an injured bird, or one of the zoo animals needed help in the middle of the night, Dr Dianne would be there without complaint to perform emergency surgery. But it took its toll. Dianne needed another vet to share the workload, even if it was only a part-time position. But Bindi knew there was no extra money to pay a vet.

  As Bindi updated the patient register, she was busy thinking. If only there was something I could do to help Dr Dianne out . . .

  BINDI WAS IN HER BEDROOM, trying to concentrate on her English homework.

  The tone in the fourth chapter of Skellig, by David Almond, demonstrates the character’s frustration at being . . .

  Arrrgh, frustration was right! How could she possibly think about her assignment when her phone hadn’t rung? She glanced over at it for the millionth time, willing it to ring. Picking it up once more, she made sure the battery was charged, the power was on, and the network connection hadn’t cut out.

  Bindi’s brother Robert bounded into her room. ‘Hi B, any news yet?’

  Bindi groaned. ‘No, and it’s driving me crazy! They said they’d let me know their decision today.’

  ‘It’s a great idea. I’m sure they’ll say yes,’ said Robert supportively. ‘Hey, I’m going to visit the Komodo dragon. Wanna come?’

  ‘Thanks little buddy, but I need to finish this assignment, and I NEED THIS PHONE TO RING!!!’

  As if by magic, her phone started ringing. ‘Oh my gosh, it’s ringing!’

  Robert laughed. ‘Now you NEED TO ANSWER IT!’ He left her to it, closing the door behind him.

  Bindi took a deep breath, and tried to sound relaxed. ‘Hello, Bindi speaking.’

  ‘Hi Bindi, it’s Patrick Harris from the Aurora Network.’

  ‘Hi Mr Harris, how are you?’ said Bindi, with a little cough. All of a sudden, her throat was too dry, and butterflies were starting to flutter in her tummy.

  ‘Bindi, I’ll cut straight to the chase. Our board loved your idea for The Wildlife Games. We’ve already talked to a couple of our sponsors and they’re keen as mustard to be a part of it too. We like the fundraising side of it, and the audience interaction, and basically –’

  Bindi was jumping up and down on her bed now. ‘You’re saying yes?’

  ‘Consider the project green-lit!’

  ‘Wooooo hoooo!’ yelled Bindi. ‘That’s such great news, Mr Harris. Thank you so much.’

  Mr Harris laughed. ‘Thank you. It should be good for everyone involved. I’ll send through development plans, shooting schedules, timetables, crew lists, the artwork for the contestant call-ou
t . . .’

  Bindi wasn’t quite paying attention to the long list of what was going to happen next. She was too busy dancing around her bedroom, shimmying to the success of her idea becoming a reality. This was fantastic news!

  Her English assignment was temporarily forgotten as she thanked Patrick Harris again, ended the call and raced down the hallway to tell her mum, Terri, the good news.

  After a few days thinking about what she could do to help the wildlife hospital, she’d come up with the idea of The Wildlife Games, a TV program that would be filmed at Australia Zoo, featuring young contestants who would compete in a range of animal-related activities. Bindi would be the host and, the best bit of all, it would raise much-needed funds for the wildlife hospital.

  ‘Mum, guess what?’ Bindi screeched to a halt in the kitchen, where Terri and Robert were lighting candles on a cake with the word ‘Congratulations’ in pink icing on the top.

  ‘Is that for me?’ asked Bindi, still breathless with excitement.

  Robert grinned. ‘No, it’s for me. Mum thought I should get a cake just for waking up this morning, didn’t you, Mum?’

  Terri finished lighting the candles and gave Robert a light swipe on the head. ‘No, it’s for you, Bindi,’ she said.

  ‘But how did you know? I only just got off the phone from Mr Harris.’

  Terri and Robert came over and hugged Bindi. ‘Because it was a terrific idea, honey,’ said Terri. ‘We knew the network would love it, didn’t we, Robert?’

  Robert nodded. ‘A beaut, bonza idea, Bindi. And I get to be part of it too, right?’

  Bindi eyed the cake, which looked like a delicious mango and coconut concoction. ‘You certainly do, little buddy. I’m going to need all the help I can get.’

  Two and a half minutes later, the Irwins were up to their elbows in delicious cake.

  Terri looked at her daughter. ‘Now, I just want to say, The Wildlife Games is a great idea and all, but I want you to make sure you don’t take too much on, okay? The next few months are going to be busy enough already . . .’

  Robert piped up. ‘Yeah, with the woma python research trip and the visit to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs . . .’

  Bindi and Terri turned to Robert, speaking in unison. ‘What visit to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs?’

  Robert’s eyes widened innocently. ‘Well, if there isn’t one planned, there definitely should be!’ he said, licking the leftover icing off his fork.

  Bindi smiled. ‘Mum, if I need help, you’ll be the first person I turn to.’

  They shared a hug. Terri looked at her only daughter with a grin. ‘Honey, that was exactly the right thing to say.’

  Preparation for the new TV show caused time to fly over the following month. There were visiting studio heads, network executives, location scouts, film crews and set builders. There were constant meetings and discussions about the type of program it would end up being. After that had been finalised, the Aurora Network put the call-out for contestants on its website, and advertised in newspapers and on TV. The response was terrific. Two weeks before the audition, there were over 200 kids interested in participating.

  To whittle the numbers down, as they were only after four final contestants, they sent out questionnaires and shortlisted children who already had a track record of supporting wildlife conservation. Then, when the group was down to 30, the network explained the next step of gathering sponsorship from their friends and community. This was an important part of the process as the Aurora Network promised to match the total amount of money the final four contestants had raised.

  Bindi loved watching the audition tapes and helping choose the final four contestants. They were all quite different, with different strengths and weaknesses. She was going to enjoy getting to know them as they competed in the inaugural Wildlife Games!

  ‘SO, TODAY’S GOING TO BE A BIG ONE. Am I ready for it? You betcha! It’s 6.30 am and the sun is already up and looking perky. I’ve had a great night’s sleep, I’ve had breakfast, I’m dressed and I’m talking to a rhino. You can’t be more prepared than that!’

  DJ looked at his favourite human, and gave his left ear a flick.

  Bindi sighed. ‘I know. You can tell, can’t you, DJ?’ She looked around her, and sure that no-one else was listening in, continued. ‘I’ll admit to being a teensy weensy bit nervous. But keep it to yourself, okay?’

  DJ was the type of rhino who was very happy to keep a secret.

  Bindi went on. ‘It’s just that it’s been a while since I’ve done this kinda thing. I know, I’ve done lots of other stuff, but it doesn’t stop me from getting a little scared when a whole new TV show’s about to begin because I thought it up!’

  DJ nodded and stared at Bindi reassuringly. She leaned over and patted his horn. ‘Of course, I haven’t forgotten it’s a big day for you too, mate.’

  It was true. For DJ and his fellow rhinos, today was a very big day. But perhaps because he was a massive 2035 kilograms, he wasn’t particularly fazed by all the excitement that had been building around him.

  Along with the filming of The Wildlife Games, today was also the day that the new African Savannah was going to open at Australia Zoo. It had been years in the planning. There had been giraffes that needed to travel from across the country (and you can imagine what size containers they’d need to do that!); a beautiful rhinoceros called Cabelle, who travelled across the Tasman Sea from New Zealand, and was pregnant with a gorgeous female that would be named Savannah; zebras – Stevie, Zac and Michael – that had travelled from Werribee in Victoria, looking particularly gorgeous in their black and white livery; a pair of Aldabran tortoises settled on the nearby Madagascar Island; to say nothing of the massive amounts of landscaping that had gone on, and the placement of the amazing Queensland Bottle Trees, which were similar in look to the African baobab tree.

  Bindi’s dad, Steve Irwin, had planned for this African Savannah before he passed away in 2006, and it was incredible to see all the hard work had finally paid off. The zoo was expecting thousands of visitors through the gates today, and all the animals had been told by their keepers to be on their best behaviour!

  This coming together of two major events had caused a few headaches, but it had been decided that everyone would cope. The film crew and contestants would work around the crowds coming to see the new exhibit, and everyone would finish the day realising a planning miracle had taken place.

  Bindi and DJ’s heart-to-heart was interrupted by a call over Australia Zoo’s loudspeaker. ‘Bindi, are you out there?’

  It was Terri. Bindi knew that she and her mum had a special relationship. After all, how many mums called their kids over a zoo loudspeaker?!

  ‘Okay DJ, sounds like I’m needed back at base. Have a wonderful day.’ Bindi gave her old friend a goodbye pat. ‘I’m sure you’ll wow the crowds like you always do, mate! No fighting with Inyeti and remember to roll in the mud if it gets too hot, okay?’

  Bindi took out her walkie-talkie and clicked the receive button. ‘Hi Mum, I’m here. Just had a quick catch-up with DJ, over.’

  Terri swapped the loudspeaker for the walkie-talkie and her voice crackled over the air. ‘Good to hear, honey. Is he looking forward to today, over?’

  Bindi grinned. ‘He’s never been better, Mum. Tip-top terrific, over!’

  ‘And how about you, B? Are you feeling fine about today, over?’

  Bindi could hear the note of concern in her mum’s voice, and didn’t want her to worry. She ignored the kaleidoscope of tiny butterflies that were flittering around her tummy and took a deep breath. ‘Can’t wait, Mum. It’s gonna be a bonza day, over!’

  ‘Well, the make-up artist has arrived and the hair stylist is 20 minutes away, so I suggest you give DJ a good-luck kiss and get back to the house so we can get this show on the road, over!’

 
A roll in the mud certainly wasn’t going to be a part of Bindi’s preparations for today! She quickened her pace but before she rounded the corner, away from the rhino enclosure, DJ raised his head and gave a supportive grunt.

  Bindi smiled to herself. With highly supportive four-legged friends like DJ, what could possibly go wrong?

  ‘This is wrong. All wrong!’ screamed 13-year-old Anastasia Hunter three hours later, as everyone within a four kilometre radius jammed their fingers in their ears to drown out the noise.

  A brolga over in the wetlands area squawked in reply. To him, Ana’s outburst sounded like a mating call. Had anyone been able to decipher his squawk, it may have sounded a little like: ‘Over here. I’m over here. I’m the cute guy with the long neck. Come find me later.’

  Back in the food hall, which was doubling as the waiting area for the day’s contestants, Mrs Hunter, Ana’s mother, grimaced. ‘Ana, you look gorgeous. The training gear has been designed and coloured to suit your complexion, your runners are top class. You are not only going to blitz the other contestants, you’ll look fabulous doing it!’

  Anastasia pouted. ‘Do you think so? Because I’m not sure I like the way the culottes taper off below my calf. I really think they would accentuate the curve of my legs if they were a bit shorter.’

  A sporty-looking boy nearby, wearing a beaten-up pair of trackpants and an old T-shirt, rolled his eyes while the boy’s father stifled a guffaw.

  ‘I think the dirt smudge on your trackie dacks emphasises the small hole you have on the shoulder of your shirt, Jason,’ said Todd Singer to his son in a half-whisper.

  Jason kept a straight face. ‘I’m glad you said that, Dad, because that was exactly the look I was going for.’ Jason cricked his neck and did another set of biceps curls. ‘How long to go now?’

  His dad checked his watch. ‘Still an hour before filming starts.’

  Jason winced. ‘But I’m ready to go now. Man, I hate waiting.’ He looked around him restlessly, checking out his competition.