It wasn’t really the anniversary that Nathan and Bella expected. The mood in Ithemba was at quite a low as Nathan returned, from a routine check of the surrounding lands, with injured cubs and a report of Artemis and a couple of other cubs being dead. By gunshot. Who would do such a thing to such beautiful creatures?
Bella was appalled, angry and saddened at the same time. Artemis was more than a mere cheetah. She’d been raised from infancy by the Ithemba team. She was part of the family and now she was gone. Her life taken so senselessly. Something had to be done about it. They’d been rumours of poachers nearby, but as Nathan had said, it definitely wasn’t the work of a poacher. A farmer perhaps. Or someone hunting for sport. Instead of celebrating their anniversary, Nathan and Bella ended up nursing Artemis’ cubs and trying to keep their emotions in check. Bella could tell that Nathan was fuming, but he hid it well, especially when they returned to their home later that evening. They would have to break the news to the girls, but for now, they chose not to. How would they explain that there were bad people in the world who killed good creatures for no reason at all? The lesson would have to wait. If Artemis were still domesticated or living within Ithemba's walls, Bella would have buried the big cat. But, sadly, they had to leave nature to deal with her. Those vultures had probably feasted on her anyway. Instead, Bella put up a framed picture or Artemis and a couple of her unnamed cubs, in the corridor of Ithemba's administrative office with a note below it. Rest in Peace Artemis, once our little huntress.
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Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
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