The Real Yeti/Transcript

'''There is something missing from our world. The amazing animals that time has left behind. But what if we can bring them back? What if extinction didn't have to be forever? We're going back in time on a safari with a difference, as wild life adventurer Nigel Marven plunges into pre-history to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction. His plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.'''

This time Nigel travels back to China 800,000 years ago to rescue the ape which may have inspired the story of the yeti.

'''Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary. Welcome to Prehistoric Park.'''

Another day dawns at Prehistoric Park and Nigel has something very special that he plans to rescue.

He stroked the feathered head of a microraptor which ate meal worms out of Chiyo's hand. On the desk was a photo of a footprint of an ape frozen in the snow of the mighty Himalayas. Chiyo, Bob and Suzanne looked at the picture with a look of bemusement on their collective faces.

"Nigel when did we all of a sudden get into cryptozoology?" Suzanne asked. The photo was one that was famous in cryptozoology; one taken of a supposed yeti footprint. It captured the imagination of thousands of people around the world.

"Well there may be some fact behind the legend," Nigel replied laughing "In China, India and Vietnam 100,000 years ago there lived a 3m tall ape called Gigantopithecus blacki. There was a curious recent discovery about them which I hope to see so I think these great apes would be a good edition to Sorna."

'''100,000 years ago the Gigantopithecus were the largest apes in existence. Through climate change at the start of an Ice Age and hunting from a hominid they vanished. However certain crypto zoologists believe that some may have survived in the windswept Tibetan mountains.'''

They emerged from the portal in a forest in what would later be the Yunnan province in the modern day PRC. To the east was a bamboo forest and in the north was a lake which the bamboo kissed gently at the shore. A few doves cooed gently before fluttering off into the blue sky.

"What did the Gigantopithecus eat primarily?" Chiyo asked "Similar to that of orangs and gorillas or did they eat something else?"

"Similar that to the modern day apes but indentations on their molars suggest that their diet primarily consisted bamboo so our best bet would be to check in the forest."

Back in the park Bob and Mary are checking on the well-being on some of the aquatic residents.

The underwater walkways had finally been completed and above the silhouettes of a Dorudon pod swimming above. Light seeped through the calm waters casting a perfect view of the early whales. One swam up to the Plexiglas that made up the walkway before following Mary's hand which she placed on the glass. Bob's radio then started whirring which he had to answer:

"Bob here."

"It's Suzanne. We've got a problem."

Bob sighed and left Mary to check up on the giant turtles Archelon. The walkways weaved around the sides of the islands so he did not need to take the boat from Nublar to Sorna. What he saw was a mess. Recently Harding had the some of the Diprotodon out of their exhibit to do some examinations and had been returning them. Some of the crew were wrangling a Phorusrhacos into a transporter lorry.

"One of the terror birds escaped," Suzanne explained. One of the Phorusrhacos continued to break their exhibit and had recently taken advantage of the underwater walkways and had been exploring Isla Sorna. "He seemed to attack Harding while he was transporting the Diprotodon and they escaped and you can see."

The lorry had smashed the edge of the Arsinotherium exhibit and a female Diprotodon was now sniffing around the enclosure. The mother Arsinotherium seemed to dislike this who started to shake her head back and forth displaying her mighty horns. All this achieved was making the marsupial give a perplexed look. She charged at the wombat who made a strange shriek and ran to the edge of the enclosure. The Arsinotherium seemed happy and trotted back to her baby triumphant.

"Come on you," Bob said guiding the shell-shocked marsupial out of the broken fence "There's no shame in losing a fight."

Back in Pleistocene China Nigel and Chiyo have made a rather beautiful discovery.

Two pandas were sniffing each other. They resembled giant pandas but were at least half the size of their giant relatives. The male pulled down a piece of bamboo and started chewing placidly as the female licked her paws and ran her paw over her head to groom herself.

"Ailuropoda microta also known as the Dwarf Panda," Nigel smiled "They went extinct around this time along with the Gigantopithecus."

"Pandas are normally solitary and judging by the time of year it must be end of the mating system. If we rescue them we might have a pregnant panda for the park."

With pandas being solitary in nature even the dwarf pandas would be difficult to rescue. A divide and conquer tactic would be needed. Nigel pulled at his lunch which contained an egg which he planned to have later over a Bunsen burner that he had brought along.

"I'm going to sacrifice my lunch for the little female," he explained "Pandas love bird eggs so I might be able to lure her towards the portal using the egg."

He wrapped some string around the egg and gently rolled it towards the female. She saw the egg and walked towards it but just as she got to the egg Nigel pulled and the egg rolled towards him. Luckily he managed to do this a few more times but just as she got to the portal she caught the egg. Drastically he pulled the string in hope that the panda could get closer but bears are very strong and she pulled with all her might. Some members of the crew had to grab hold of Nigel before he was pulled over. Chiyo quickly went behind the panda just before the string snapped and as it did she opened her portal and the female ran through.

"With the rarity of pandas breeding they are quite protective of their mates," she said.

She was right and the male quickly ran up to them trying to find his mate so Nigel opened the portal quickly and sent him through.

"Now to find giant apes as well as pandas!" Nigel laughed.

Back at the Park Suzanne and Alan Grant have made a pleasant discovery.

"Dr Grant I never knew you that you knew elephant biology," Suzanne laughed.

"I studied them when I was a graduate, I was writing a piece on the possible behaviour of Deinotherium. I decided hadrosaurs and raptors were more of my forte."

Martha the mammoth wrapped her trunk around that of the male mammoth Torn. Her sister playfully sprayed them with mud; a behaviour shared by elephants during times of celebrations. Quite a few members of staff who were on breaks gathered round to hear the news; even Bob looked relaxed for once.

"Alan had an idea so I did the test. Martha is pregnant!"

Everyone started clapping and cheering with elation. The first mammoth in 10,000 years to be pregnant!

"Although it may take a while though for her to give birth," Suzanne said "She'll be pregnant for probably two years before the park is blessed with the feet of a baby mammoth."

Back in prehistoric China the crew have found signs of the great Gigantopithecus.

The bamboo was flattened straight onto the ground, the crushed shoots forming a walkway through the bamboo forest. Nigel crouched by the flattened shoots looking through the crushed greens for signs.

"Modern day gorillas and chimps make similar pathways through the forests to their nests," Nigel explained "If I find some sign we might be taken straight to the Gigantopithecus nest sight. Oh look."

Compressed in the mud was a giant set of footprints, similar to that of the photo of the supposed yeti footprint in the Tibetan mountains.

"That's strange," Chiyo said "I only see footprints, no hand prints. Unless if they don't walk on their knuckles like the other great apes." Nigel smiled at this and started walking further down the pathway. They saw snagged on a rock a chunk of red fur obviously from the great ape. However Chiyo saw something unsettling in the bushes. She pulled out a simple stone tool from among the bamboo.

"Nigel did early hominids hunt Gigantopithecus?" she asked.

"Yes. It is thought that they went extinct largely through predation from Homo Erectus. Curious though palaeontologists think that they might be the same species as Homo Ergaster."

'''With this thought in mind they hurried on down the track. However it did not take long for them to find them.'''

They saw the apes. Like modern chimps and gorillas they had built fresh nests to sleep among built out of mounds of bamboo and the larger leaves of nearby trees. A few of the apes had even placed leaves from some cherry trees in their nests. However the apes themselves surprised Chiyo. Unlike the extant great apes they stood and walked upright like humans, eerily reminiscent to the videos of the supposed bigfoot. Three metres high they were giants and were covered in orange-brown fur like orang-utans. Unlike the apes though they had flat faces, again eerily like a humans face.

"Wow they look vastly different from what I thought!" Chiyo gasped.

"Scientists discovered that they had flat faces so their windpipe was more straight. They had to stand upright or would struggle to breathe as well."

Like apes though they seemed to be just as sociable.

The big male crouched and extended his palm upwards to them. Chiyo explained this was a positive sign. Apes often would do this to show welcome and the correct response would be to stroke the palm. They did this and were welcomed in the group. A baby Gigantopithecus hugged Chiyo as an adult started to play with Nigel. It was simple to get them through the portal and soon the whole troop was through but they saw another sight.

"Oh my!" a crew member gasped.

Nigel managed to communicate with them and they seemed pleased to come to the park.

In a few hours all animals were housed and the Homo erectus were made a permanent home on another island.

The Gigantopithecus were chewing on bamboo that Bob had placed in their exhibit. One of the new Homo Erectus sat on a bench, smiling broadly at the new alien object, watching the Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals.

"My goodness they are massive," Bob gasped "My my they are…How has he got out again!"

The terror bird pecked at a worm in the ground and squawked.

Next time Nigel travels back to Devonian Ellesmere Island to rescue a hybrid.

A creature swims through the water.

Suzanne tries to see if the panda is pregnant.

A sedated panda is seen.

And trouble arises with the Tyrannosaurs.

A Tyrannosaur bellows.

Rescued this chapter:

2 Dwarf Pandas 1 male, 1 female

14 Gigantopithecus blacki 10 female, 4 male