Jungle Protectors

Nikhil and Ravi's N houses were close. They were good friends and often visited each other's place. Nikhil's uncle, Santosh, was a forest officer. Once, during the school vacation, his uncle said, "Come and visit me this time, Nikhil. I'll take you to the jungle and show you around."

- Vandana Gupta

"But how will I come, Uncle?" Nikhil asked.

"Our national park is only three hours away. Your brother will come and drop you off," Uncle Santosh said.

"Can I bring Ravi along?"

"Sure, why not? That way, if I am on duty, you won't be bored."

Both got their parents' approval and began preparing for the trip.

"We are going into the jungle, so we'll need protective gear in case some wild animals come."

 

"Why do we need to fear when Uncle Santosh will be there?"

"He won't be with us all the time. We need to take care of ourselves, too. We'll take our toy guns that make noise. I've heard that the animals get scared of sound," said Nikhil.

"Light keeps them away too. Let's take a torch as well," Ravi suggested.

Both were visiting a jungle for the first time, so they prepared excitedly.

Three days later, they reached Uncle Santosh’s place; he was overjoyed to see them.

The boys loved the place. It was serene and away from the din of the city. They loved listening to the chirping birds. The nights were a bit scary, but Uncle Santosh assured them that they were safe, so there was no reason to worry.

A young man named Rajesh stayed with Uncle Santosh and did all the household chores.

One evening, while having tea, Nikhil asked, "Which animals are found here?"

"Deer, nilgai, elephants, bears, crocodiles and many more. I'll show you all of them someday. There are many varieties of snakes, too. I am busy for the next few days, but afterwards, I will take you both out."

The boys were excited to hear that. "Uncle, what do you do in the jungle?" Ravi asked.

"I am in charge of the safety of the plants, birds and animals. I walk or ride through the forest to keep a check on them."

"Why would anyone harm them?" Nikhil asked.