Free A Giant Rescue by Bindi Irwin Page A

serious, Kate. Will they need you there?’ asked Terri.
    She nodded. ‘And the sooner, the better. I was planning to go after your visit but …’
    â€˜Don’t worry about us,’ said Terri. ‘The elephants are the number one priority. Besides, we’d love to come with you.’
    Kate turned to look at Bindi and Robert, who were already giving her the thumbs up. ‘Mondulkiri, here we come!’ Bindi said.

After staying the night in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, the Irwins and Kate had risen early to begin the long and hazardous four-wheel drive trip to Mondulkiri. It had taken most of the day just to get to the base of the mountainousregion, and as they travelled north, it became humid and wet. Their guide and driver, a local man named Din, came from a hill tribe called the Bunong.
    The road became especially bumpy once they started climbing up the mountain roads, and Kate reassured them after a tight corner turn. ‘Don’t worry. Din knows these roads like the back of his hand.’ Unfortunately, no sooner were the words out of her mouth than Din slammed on the brakes. The jeep skidded sideways and off the wet road before landing in a ditch.
    Once they were sure that nobody was hurt, Bindi stuck her head outof the window to see what had caused the sudden braking. ‘We’ve got company,’ she whispered. A beautiful large Asian elephant had stepped out of the jungle and onto the road.
    Everyone inside sat very still, completely mesmerised. It wasn’t every day you got to see an elephant wandering around in the wild! He was deeply wrinkled and underneath his long eyelashes his eyes looked wise, as if he had seen many things in his life.
    â€˜You beauty!’ declared Robert.
    The elephant dismissed them with a flick of his short tail and graciously carried on across theroad, disappearing into the thick foliage. In no time at all he had moved out of sight.
    â€˜Crikey!’ said Bindi.
    â€˜Double crikey!’ said Robert. ‘I wonder if he’s the elephant that’s been having late-night snacks?’
    Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘We’ll soon find out.’ She turned to Din. ‘Thanks for being so quick-witted. I would never have seen him coming out of nowhere like that.’
    â€˜We Bunong have been living among the elephants for many generations,’ explained Din. ‘They are very much a part of our community and our people.’
    Din started the engine again butthe jeep wouldn’t budge. Red mud slung up on either side of the jeep as the tyres skidded, sinking deeper into the mud. The jeep was soon bogged to its axles.
    Kate checked her watch. ‘We’re running out of daylight hours. Let’s leave the car here and keep going on foot. I don’t want to waste any more time. I’ll phone for someone from town to tow it in the morning.’
    The Irwins hopped out and began unpacking their gear from the jeep. It would take a couple of hours to trek through the jungle to the little Bunong village where they would be staying. The group made their way on foot through the dense forest.There was a track with enough room to follow, one behind the other. The air was cooler up in the mountains, Bindi noticed with relief; it would make for easier walking. She took in her surroundings as they walked. This was real jungle. Vines as thick as her body intertwined tree trunks and other vines. The colours seemed so vibrant. The forest was lush green and the soil was so red it stained the trees.
    As they continued the trek, Kate explained a little about the area to them as they walked. ‘Mondulkiri is known as a magical place full of natural beauty. The Bunong people have been living in these hills andjungles for centuries in harmony with elephants.’
    â€˜So why would there only be trouble now with the elephants in this area?’ asked Bindi.
    Kate looked to Din and invited him to answer.
    â€˜In recent