The Lonely Lion Cub

by Amelia Cobb

  As Lucy took chicken and salad from the fridge to make dinner, Zoe glanced at Meep. If anyone at the Rescue Zoo could find out what was troubling the little cub, she could – but it wouldn’t be that easy. Mr Pinch had forbidden her from visiting him, and she knew he would be sneaking around the hospital all day long. How could she get inside without him knowing?

  In a flash of inspiration, Zoe knew exactly what she had to do. She’d never get past Mr Pinch in the daytime – so she would just have to go to the hospital at night! She’d be in big trouble if Mum and Mr Pinch found out, but she couldn’t think of any other way to see the cub alone.

  Zoe turned to Meep, her eyes shining. “I’ve got it!” she whispered. “We’re going to the hospital tonight – as soon as Mum’s asleep!”

  Chapter Eight

  Zoe’s Night-Time Adventure

  As soon as Zoe heard her mum snoring, she and Meep crept downstairs and out of the front door. Night had fallen over the Rescue Zoo so Zoe turned on her torch. The air was still warm, and she could hear soft noises floating across the zoo. The last visitors had gone home hours ago, but lots of the animals were nocturnal, which meant that they slept during the day and were wide awake at night. The Rescue Zoo never really went to sleep!

  As they walked towards the hospital, Zoe’s heart thumped excitedly. She wanted to skip and run about, but she made herself walk quietly. If her mum found out that she’d sneaked away, she’d be furious. Even worse, Zoe knew that Mr Pinch sometimes patrolled the zoo when it was dark, making sure none of his rules were being broken.

  If Mr Pinch spotted them tonight, Zoe knew he would finally do what he’d always threatened: he’d put poor Meep in a cage and forbid Zoe from walking around the zoo without a grown-up. Just thinking about it gave her a horrible feeling in her tummy. But she had promised Great-Uncle Horace that she’d help the lion cub, and this was the only way she could talk to him alone.

  Zoe crept closer to the hospital. She loved the Rescue Zoo, but it felt different at night, and a teeny bit scary. She was so used to the path bustling with visitors that it was strange to be the only person around. She jumped as she heard a squeak from the enclosure next to her.

  “Silly Zoe, it’s only the bumblebee bats,” Meep said, jumping out of her arms. Zoe calmed down as she watched the bats swooping around in the moonlight, enjoying the warm air.

  “Shhh!” Zoe shushed them as they called out to her in their high-pitched squeaks. “I know we’re out late. We’re on a secret mission!”

  The bats squeaked and squealed again, quietly this time, as they wished Zoe and Meep luck.

  Meep leaped along in front of her, jumping in and out of the beam of light her torch made on the path.

  The cheeky little lemur wasn’t afraid – his sharp eyes could see just as well in the dark as they could in the daytime.

  The zoo hospital was a cosy bungalow painted a cheerful yellow, but in the darkness it looked cold and grey. Zoe switched off the torch and pressed her paw-print necklace to the sensor. The door opened with a click and she slipped inside with Meep, breathing a sigh of relief.

  Zoe tiptoed beside a row of large pens filled with sleeping animals, smiling as she passed a meerkat with a bandaged paw, a snoring zebra and some young monkeys all sleeping in a heap.

  Lucy always put the sickest patients right at the end of the corridor, where it was quiet – and that was where Zoe found the lion cub.

  He was curled in a fluffy ball on a heap of blankets. Next to him was a bowl full of meat and it didn’t look as if he’d eaten any of it. His face was hidden beneath his paws and he was mewing quietly. Zoe realised that he was crying so she hurried to the pen and knelt down next to him.

  “Don’t cry!” she whispered. “We’ve come to help you.”

  The cub raised his head and stared at Zoe with big, dark eyes. His ears pricked up curiously.

  Meep moved closer to the cub. “I’m Meep, and this is my best friend, Zoe,” he said. “She can understand us. What’s your name?”

  The cub hesitated and then growled softly in reply.

  “Rory,” repeated Zoe, smiling. “That’s a lovely name. There’s no need to be frightened, Rory. This is a very special place and we all want to make sure you’re happy and safe. Can you tell us what’s wrong?”

  The lion gulped nervously. Zoe waited, hoping that he would trust her.

  Slowly, Rory began to explain. He had lived with his mum and his sister in the Serengeti with the rest of their pride. One day, Rory woke up early feeling thirsty, so he left his family’s den to have a drink of water from the nearby lake. While he was gone, he heard roars and lots of men shouting, followed by some scary bangs. He waited until the noises had stopped, then crept back to the den. His pride had gone and he was left all alone. Meep shuddered as Rory came to the end of his story.

  “That’s awful,” Zoe said, gazing at the cub. “I know – you must miss your family so much,” she whispered. “I promise everything will be all right, now that you’re here. But please can you eat something? My mum says you’ll get really poorly if you don’t.”

  Rory shook his head and hid his eyes under his paws again.

  Zoe tried her best to coax him out.

  “Please Rory, just try a few bites.”

  She nodded at the bowl next to him. “It will help you get better.”

  “If you don’t like it, there’s lots more yummy food at the Rescue Zoo,” Meep added helpfully. “You can have anything you want!”

  But Rory’s face stayed firmly hidden. Meep looked at Zoe sadly.

  “It’s not working,” he whispered. “What shall we do?”

  “I think we should let Rory get some rest,” Zoe replied. “We’ll try to come back tomorrow, Rory,” she added, and heard a tiny snore from inside the pen. The tired cub had already fallen asleep.

  Zoe sighed as they crept back to the cottage. “This is really serious, Meep. He misses his family so much. I think he’s just too lonely to eat.”

  “But what can we do?” asked Meep, wrinkling his nose. “We can’t bring his family back.”

  “No,” agreed Zoe thoughtfully. “We can’t. But there has to be something we can do.”

  Chapter Nine

  A Lonely Lion

  Zoe didn’t sleep very well that night. As Meep snoozed peacefully at the end of her bed, wrapped around her feet like a furry hot-water bottle, she lay awake worrying about Rory. There had to be a way to help him.

  Zoe’s mum had already left when they came downstairs for breakfast the next morning. There was a note on the kitchen table.

  Zoe smiled. Hetty was the smallest and naughtiest of the hippopotamuses, and one of her favourite things to do was splash gloopy mud around her enclosure. It made Mr Pinch very cross!

  Zoe and Meep quickly munched their breakfast and set off into the zoo. As usual, the animals called out to her cheerfully, but Zoe barely heard them – she just couldn’t stop thinking about Rory. Meep did his best to make her laugh by doing roly-polies along the path, but Zoe only managed a sad smile.

  As they drew closer to Leonard’s enclosure, Meep’s teeth began to chatter. “I wish we didn’t have to go past the grumpy old lion,” he muttered.

  Zoe bent down and tickled his ears. “Remember he can’t hurt you, Meep,” she reminded him.

  “I know,” grumbled Meep. “But why does he always roar like that? No wonder he has that big enclosure all to himself. Nobody wants to be his friend!”

  Zoe stopped. Her heart was beating very fast. “Meep – that’s it!” she gasped. “That’s how we can help Rory!”

  “What? How?” asked Meep, puzzled.

  “Rory is lonely – that’s why he’s so sad. He misses his family and being around other lions,” Zoe explained. “But we have another lion at the zoo already – Leonard! He comes from Kenya, just like Rory. If we can get Leonard to share his enclosure with Rory, everything would be perfect.”

  “But Leonard is the grumpiest, growliest animal i
n the whole zoo,” Meep said. “He won’t listen to you, Zoe. He’ll just roar at you!”

  Zoe nodded. “I know. But I have to try.”

  Poor Meep looked terrified so Zoe picked him up and nuzzled his soft head reassuringly. “Maybe we should find you a good place to sit further back down the path?” she suggested. She knew Meep wouldn’t want to come too close to Leonard’s enclosure.

  Zoe set Meep down on a wooden bench, where he would still be able to see her. He curled up and covered his face, peeping out nervously from behind his tail.

  Zoe went back to the edge of the walkway that led to Leonard’s enclosure. She looked around to check there were no visitors coming along the path. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment. You can do this, she told herself firmly. She reached into her pocket and found the blue feather Kiki had given her. Maybe it would bring her luck. Clutching it tightly, she stepped bravely on to the walkway and went towards the fence.

  The huge old lion was prowling around his enclosure.

  Zoe cleared her throat. “Um…excuse me,” she said in a timid whisper. “Please can I talk to you?”

  Leonard spun around to face Zoe. His golden eyes glared at her and he gave a small, low growl from deep in his throat. He pressed his ears flat against his head, warning her not to come any closer. Zoe stayed very still.

  “A new animal came to the Rescue Zoo yesterday,” she said. “His name is Rory. He’s a lion, like you, but he’s just a baby. He lived with his family in a big pride, but now he’s all alone.”

  When Zoe said the word “pride”, Leonard’s ears pricked up. He was still staring at her, but he wasn’t growling any more.

  “He won’t eat anything because he’s so sad, and it’s making him poorly,” Zoe continued shakily. “He needs a new home, and someone to share it with.”

  Leonard gazed at Zoe for a moment. He tipped his handsome head to one side, as if remembering something. Then he growled, making a deep, purring rumble.

  Zoe couldn’t believe the lion was really talking to her! She listened carefully, and as she watched Leonard’s eyes gleam, she saw that he looked…happy.

  Meep crept closer as he realised that Leonard was talking to Zoe. “What’s he saying?” Meep chirped nervously, peeking at the lion from behind Zoe’s legs.

  “Leonard used to belong to a big pride, just like Rory,” Zoe explained. “There were two lions and ten lionesses, and they helped to keep each other safe.” She glanced at the lion. “He was so happy… until the poachers came and took him away. Meep, I think Leonard is lonely too.”

  Without warning, Leonard bared his teeth and gave an enormous roar that sent Meep scurrying back down the path. It was as if the lion had decided he didn’t want to think about his pride any more. With an angry swish of his tail, he turned and stormed away from the fence.

  “Wait!” Zoe pleaded. “Leonard, come back! I think we can help. You miss your pride and living with other lions. Rory’s all alone too, and he needs a home. Couldn’t you share your enclosure with him?”

  But the lion wasn’t listening any more.

  Zoe sighed and walked back on to the path. Meep jumped straight up into her arms for a cuddle. “Poor Leonard,” Zoe said. “He looked so happy when he was remembering his old pride. He must miss them so much.”

  “Maybe he’s not as mean as we thought,” Meep admitted. “But he’s still grumpy and cross and scary when he roars!”

  “He is,” Zoe agreed. “But now we know why he behaves like that. He’s sad and lonely, and he needs a friend… just like Rory.” She nibbled her lip thoughtfully. “I’m sure my plan will work, Meep.”

  Meep looked worried. “But we don’t know if Leonard wants to share his home with another lion!”

  Zoe sighed. “I wish we knew for certain. But I don’t think Leonard will talk to me again.” She glanced back at him and took a determined breath. “But we have to try it, somehow. Come on, Meep – let’s go to the zoo hospital. We need to talk to my mum – and to Rory!”

  Chapter Ten

  Zoe’s Plan

  When Zoe and Meep arrived at the hospital, Lucy was busy wrapping a bandage around a koala’s paw.

  “Hello, Mum! Can we go and see the lion cub?” asked Zoe.

  Lucy hesitated. “Well…I suppose it won’t do any harm. Be nice and quiet around him, OK? We don’t want him to get scared.”

  “I will, I promise,” Zoe said as she headed down the corridor to Rory’s pen with Meep chasing after her.

  The little cub was curled up in a heap underneath his blanket with only the tip of his fluffy tail poking out.

  “Hi, Rory,” Zoe whispered. “Do you remember us? We think we might be able to help. We know you miss your family, and you’re feeling really lonely. But there’s someone we’d like you to meet – another lion, just like you.”

  At first there was no movement from the bundle of blankets. Then, very slowly, Rory nudged his head out from underneath. He blinked his brown eyes at Zoe and made a nervous mewing sound.

  Zoe shook her head. “I can’t take you there yet. My mum won’t let you leave the hospital until you eat something. You’re very weak and poorly, you know.”

  Meep nodded. “Zoe’s right. If you want to meet the other lion, you have to eat first.”

  The cub raised his paw and patted a piece of meat. Cautiously he started to chew. His ears pricked up and he growled happily.

  Zoe grinned as he started to gobble up the rest of the meat. “Mum,” she called. “Come and see! I think Rory’s found his appetite.”

  “Rory?” asked Lucy, frowning as she walked down the corridor. “Who’s Rory?”

  Zoe blushed. “I mean…the lion cub. I just thought Rory would be a good name for him. Look, Mum. He’s eating!”

  “I can’t believe it!” Lucy exclaimed. “Well done, Zoe. Whatever you did, it worked!” She crouched down and watched the lion cub enjoying the meat. Lucy smiled. “So you’ve named him Rory? I like it! You’re so good at naming the animals, Zoe.”

  Zoe couldn’t help giggling. Most of the time, the animals told Zoe their names!

  “Now that Rory’s feeling better, can he leave the hospital?” she asked, as the cub licked his bowl clean.

  Lucy nodded. “Yes, as long as he’s still eating well tomorrow. We’ll have to keep an eye on the little fellow for the rest of the day,” she replied.

  “Mum,” Zoe said, “I’ve been thinking. Rory is so little he needs company, doesn’t he? He should live with another lion.”

  Lucy stared at her for a moment. “You mean Leonard?” she said. “Oh, Zoe, I don’t know if that’s a very good idea. Lions are usually very sociable animals, but Leonard is so much older and bigger than Rory, and male lions have been known to attack cubs.”

  Zoe’s heart sank. Deep down, she knew her mum was right. Leonard had never lived with another animal since coming to the Rescue Zoo – let alone a creature as vulnerable as Rory. She was so sure Rory and Leonard would be happy together, but maybe it was too dangerous to even try.

  She nodded and pushed her hands in her pockets. Her fingers closed around something soft and silky – Kiki’s feather. As Zoe stroked it, an idea popped into her mind. Maybe there was a way to put the two lions together, without putting Rory in any danger.

  Zoe took a deep breath. “I have an idea,” she said. “There’s an empty enclosure right next to Leonard. We could put Rory in there, just for a little bit, and see if they get along. Even if Leonard gets cross, Rory will be safe on the other side of the fence.” She gazed pleadingly at Lucy. “Can we try it, Mum? Please?”

  Lucy paused. “That does sound like a good plan, Zoe, but I’m just not sure.” She glanced at Zoe’s worried face and couldn’t help smiling. “Oh, I suppose we’ve got nothing to lose. OK – let’s try it. But not until tomorrow morning,” she added as Zoe cheered happily and Meep danced in excited circles on the floor. She picked up her vet’s bag. “I’ve got to go out and check on one of the rhinos now, bu
t I’ll see you back home at teatime,” she said, kissing Zoe on the top of her head. “And for the rest of the day, I want you to leave Rory in peace so that he can get lots of rest.”

  “We will, I promise!” Zoe flung herself at her mum and hugged her tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  All that afternoon Zoe and the zookeepers worked hard to prepare the empty enclosure for the cub. They built a wooden platform for him to climb on and put up some ropes and sacking for him to play with.

  The two enclosures were separated by a tall fence so that Leonard and Rory would be able to see each other, but Rory would still be safe. Halfway along the fence was a wooden door, a little bit like a large cat flap.

  Great-Uncle Horace appeared next to Zoe with Kiki on his shoulder. “You’ve done a great job, Zoe,” he smiled, his kind eyes twinkling. “But I’m afraid that I won’t be around to see Rory settling in. I’m going to the Sahara Desert, to help a very rare black camel. The poor fellow hates getting sand in his eyes – it makes him sneeze! I do hope I can help.”

  Zoe threw her arms around her great-uncle and gave him a big hug. She didn’t want him to go, but she knew that if there was an animal in need, he had to help.

  “I know Rory’s in safe hands with you,” Great-Uncle Horace grinned. “Will you come and see me off?”

  Zoe nodded and held on to Great-Uncle Horace’s hand as they walked to the green where the hot-air balloon was waiting. Meep ran in front of them and Kiki flew overhead.