flamingos squawked, and waved their wings. Andthe enormous white rhino, Mwamba, grunted a friendly greeting as they passed.
Suddenly Meep’s ears pricked up. “Listen, Zoe!” he chattered.
Zoe stopped. Over the snorts, squeaks and whinnies of the animals came a deep growling sound. Zoe had grown up knowing the calls of every single creature at the zoo, and recognised it straight away. It was one of the leopards. But the leopard enclosure was at the other side of the zoo – and this rumbling growl was very close by!
“Do you think Asha or Kafi has escaped, Zoe?” Meep asked nervously.
“We’d better find out. Come on!” Zoe replied, and they rushed down the path towards the sound. Asha and Kafi were her friends, and Zoe knew they’d never hurt her or Meep, but it was still dangerous for a big cat to be loose. And if any of the timid gazelles found out, they’d be
very
frightened.
As they reached the parrot enclosure, there was another giant growl. It sounded as if the leopard was right next to them! Zoe looked around anxiously, but there was no sign of Asha or Kafi’s beautiful spotted coats on the pathway or in the bushes around the nearby enclosures.
“I don’t understand, Meep,” said Zoe, frowning. “Where is the noise coming from?”
Meep scampered to the top of the fence and peered down into the nearest enclosure. “Maybe the parrots will know,” he suggested.
Zoe followed Meep up to the enclosure and peered in. It was a large forest enclosure, full of trees. She spotted the scarlet macaw, Ruby, straight away because of her glossy rainbow-colouredfeathers, but it took her a while to spot Cupid’s emerald-green body among the leaves.
The cheerful lovebird flapped over to Zoe and perched on a branch in front of her, bobbing his pink head up and down in greeting. Rio, a white cockatoo with a bright-yellow crest sticking up from his head like a spiky hairstyle, followed behind him.
Although the birds wouldn’t live together in the wild, they liked living together in a friendly flock.
“Have you seen a leopard around here?” Meep called. “We think one might have escaped!”
To Zoe’s surprise, the parrots burst out laughing, flapping their bright wings in the air. Then Ruby opened her beak – and made the sound of a leopard growling! Zoe gasped. “It was you!” she said, smiling in relief. “It wasn’t a leopard at all. You naughty thing, Ruby!”
The cheeky parrot fluffed her feathers proudly and made a loud trumpeting noise, which made Meep squeal with laughter. It sounded just like Oscar, the African elephant.
Giggling, Zoe waved to the parrots andcarried on down the path, with Meep on her shoulder. As they walked towards the cottage where they lived, the sun began to set, bathing the zoo in beautiful reds and pinks.
Meep yawned sleepily and snuggled against Zoe. “All that swimming has made me tired,” he chirped.
Zoe giggled as she cuddled her friend. “You didn’t even go swimming, Meep!”
They turned the final corner to the cottage – and suddenly Meep was wide awake again, chattering in glee. Zoe gasped. Outside the cottage, swaying gently in the evening breeze, was a huge, colourful hot-air balloon. Great-Uncle Horace was back!
Chapter Two
The Snowball Seal
Zoe burst into the cottage. “Great-Uncle Horace!” she called as she kicked off her shoes and ran inside. “I can’t believe you’re back!”
Zoe’s mum popped into the hallway. “We’re in the living room,” she explained in a whisper. “Try to be quiet, love – our new arrival is asleep!”
Zoe’s tummy was suddenly full of butterflies. She’d been so eager to see Great-Uncle Horace, she’d almost forgotten that he might have a new animal for the Rescue Zoo! She and Meep grinned at each other. Meeting new creatures was one of their favourite things about living at the zoo.
“What do you think Goo has brought back, Zoe?” whispered Meep excitedly as they tiptoed into the living room. Zoe
Suddenly Meep’s ears pricked up. “Listen, Zoe!” he chattered.
Zoe stopped. Over the snorts, squeaks and whinnies of the animals came a deep growling sound. Zoe had grown up knowing the calls of every single creature at the zoo, and recognised it straight away. It was one of the leopards. But the leopard enclosure was at the other side of the zoo – and this rumbling growl was very close by!
“Do you think Asha or Kafi has escaped, Zoe?” Meep asked nervously.
“We’d better find out. Come on!” Zoe replied, and they rushed down the path towards the sound. Asha and Kafi were her friends, and Zoe knew they’d never hurt her or Meep, but it was still dangerous for a big cat to be loose. And if any of the timid gazelles found out, they’d be
very
frightened.
As they reached the parrot enclosure, there was another giant growl. It sounded as if the leopard was right next to them! Zoe looked around anxiously, but there was no sign of Asha or Kafi’s beautiful spotted coats on the pathway or in the bushes around the nearby enclosures.
“I don’t understand, Meep,” said Zoe, frowning. “Where is the noise coming from?”
Meep scampered to the top of the fence and peered down into the nearest enclosure. “Maybe the parrots will know,” he suggested.
Zoe followed Meep up to the enclosure and peered in. It was a large forest enclosure, full of trees. She spotted the scarlet macaw, Ruby, straight away because of her glossy rainbow-colouredfeathers, but it took her a while to spot Cupid’s emerald-green body among the leaves.
The cheerful lovebird flapped over to Zoe and perched on a branch in front of her, bobbing his pink head up and down in greeting. Rio, a white cockatoo with a bright-yellow crest sticking up from his head like a spiky hairstyle, followed behind him.
Although the birds wouldn’t live together in the wild, they liked living together in a friendly flock.
“Have you seen a leopard around here?” Meep called. “We think one might have escaped!”
To Zoe’s surprise, the parrots burst out laughing, flapping their bright wings in the air. Then Ruby opened her beak – and made the sound of a leopard growling! Zoe gasped. “It was you!” she said, smiling in relief. “It wasn’t a leopard at all. You naughty thing, Ruby!”
The cheeky parrot fluffed her feathers proudly and made a loud trumpeting noise, which made Meep squeal with laughter. It sounded just like Oscar, the African elephant.
Giggling, Zoe waved to the parrots andcarried on down the path, with Meep on her shoulder. As they walked towards the cottage where they lived, the sun began to set, bathing the zoo in beautiful reds and pinks.
Meep yawned sleepily and snuggled against Zoe. “All that swimming has made me tired,” he chirped.
Zoe giggled as she cuddled her friend. “You didn’t even go swimming, Meep!”
They turned the final corner to the cottage – and suddenly Meep was wide awake again, chattering in glee. Zoe gasped. Outside the cottage, swaying gently in the evening breeze, was a huge, colourful hot-air balloon. Great-Uncle Horace was back!
Chapter Two
The Snowball Seal
Zoe burst into the cottage. “Great-Uncle Horace!” she called as she kicked off her shoes and ran inside. “I can’t believe you’re back!”
Zoe’s mum popped into the hallway. “We’re in the living room,” she explained in a whisper. “Try to be quiet, love – our new arrival is asleep!”
Zoe’s tummy was suddenly full of butterflies. She’d been so eager to see Great-Uncle Horace, she’d almost forgotten that he might have a new animal for the Rescue Zoo! She and Meep grinned at each other. Meeting new creatures was one of their favourite things about living at the zoo.
“What do you think Goo has brought back, Zoe?” whispered Meep excitedly as they tiptoed into the living room. Zoe
Similar Books
