Prehistoric Park: A Wild Kratts Adventure

T-rex Returns (Part l)

There is something missing from our world; the amazing animals that time has left behind. But what if we could 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 wildlife adventurers Nigel Marven and the Brothers Kratt plunge into prehistory to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction. Their plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.
On their very first mission, they hope to rescue one of the last of the dinosaurs from the most dramatic extinction ever.
Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary. Welcome to Prehistoric Park.
The South African sun was high in the sky as dozens of workers toiled and labored, erecting stockades and laying the foundations for wooden fences.
It's a big day at Prehistoric Park. Throughout this huge reserve, everyone is busy preparing for the first arrival.
"Come on, lads, quick as you like. Can you get a ten foot pole at the bottom of the paddock?"boomed a deep voice with a Scottish accent. One man stood out from the rest, the head keeper who oversaw the progress made. He gave specific orders as the perimeters were being set and more fences were being raised.
They're almost finished building the enclosures for everything from giant insects to dinosaurs.
"Remember, check everything, 'cause it's home to a dangerous creature." The head honcho was careful that no detail was overlooked. The park sat nestled within the confines of a beautiful valley of rolling hills and high cliffs, stretching as far as the eye can see.
If Nigel can make extinct animals feel like home anywhere it's here.
"The natural geography will help us contain the animals."said Nigel, pointing out various features and landmarks on his map. "There's the ocean to the south, and to the north, there's a mountain range. Everything I need in terms of habitats: there's savannah, there's forests, there's rivers, there's even a waterfall. Perfect environments for keeping prehistoric animals."
All they need now are the prehistoric creatures themselves.
The zoologist strolled through the halls of the natural history museum, its exhibits full of various fossils celebrating the prehistoric past, especially those of dinosaurs.
One day, Nigel plans to breed extinct animals in captivity. But his first step is to only bring a few of each species back, to see how they get on in the 21st Century.
Amidst the fossil bones and skeletons, one in particular catches his eye. Looming over him was the towering skeleton of a massive dinosaur, jaws lined with rows of sharp teeth.
And Nigel knows exactly what he wants to start with. The meanest and scariest of them all: Tyrannosaurus rex!
Back in Prehistoric Park, Nigel arrived at his bungalow, wasting no time in getting his expedition underway.
He's already worked out when and where he'll have to go to track one down.
"The most widely accepted theory about why dinosaurs became extinct is that a meteorite smashed into the Earth. This is a map of the Earth 65 million years ago. This is where the impact was, somewhere here in Mexico. You can still see the crater today. Around that time there were masses of T. rex here, somewhere in Montana, and we need to go back there to find them."
Joining Nigel are the two creature adventurers, brothers Martin and Chris Kratt. Already their adventures back in time have been a huge success, bringing back famous extinct animals like the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger. But to travel even further back in time is something too good for the Kratt Brothers to pass up.
"We're actually really excited to travel back to prehistoric times!"said Martin looking at the camera as he and Chris were interacting with the rescued family of Tasmanian tigers, Tasdad, Tasmom, and Little X. "There are so many possibilities. Who knows what creatures we might encounter?"
By Martin's side, Chris chuckled as he replied: "Aviva–she's the inventor of our team, Aviva's made a lot of upgrades since our last time travel adventure, and she's developed the time portals. They're smaller and more portable. Now we can travel even further back in time! Millions of years!"
The older Kratt picked up where his brother left off, oblivious to the Tasmanian joey playfully chewing his hand. "And we and the gang have met up with Nigel not long ago, and he had this grand idea of bringing extinct animals to the safety of the 21st century. We jumped at the opportunity."
"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. How could we say no?"
To rescue the last of the T. rex, Nigel and the Kratt Brothers are going back to the very end of the age of dinosaurs, as close to the meteorite impact as they dare.
Once the coordinates were placed, it was time to hit the road. Riding in the Createrra VX, the trio drove through the transparent wall of the time portal, ready for the adventure that lay ahead.
"Cretaceous period, here we come!"the Kratts exclaimed cheerfully as they disappeared through the veil of time.
**********
Montana, 65 million years ago....
"Whoa....."
Nothing could prepare the Kratt Brothers to the sudden change of scenery. Instead of the rolling hills and green pastures commonly associated with the modern Big Sky Country; forests were far and between, the fields were barren and blanketed with volcanic ash, not a speck of green in sight. And the blazing sun beat down mercilessly upon anything caught in the open.
65 million years ago, Montana looks very different. This is a world before grass, where volcanoes dominate the landscape. Here T. rex is king. Now all Nigel and the brothers need to do is to find one. In a place with so many potential dangers, Nigel and his team know the sooner they accomplish their mission, the better.
"I just hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, we've got so little time."said Nigel, addressing the cameraman. "There's a wonderful forest over there, perfect habitat, and I think that's where we'll begin our search for T. rex." To a nearby crewman, he asked, "How's it going here?
While the team began to pitch tents and set up camp, Nigel, Martin and Chris took the opportunity to explore the nearby conifer forest for any trace of their quarry. Cycads and ferns grew in abundance, and some of the conifers and monkey puzzles grew more than a hundred feet in the air. For the longest time, the explorers traveled in silence.
"So," Martin began nervously, his eyes glancing in every direction. "Just how big is T.rex again?" In the darkness of the forest, it seemed as if every shadow and tree was a big carnivorous dinosaur.
Nigel chuckled. "T. rex is a monster." he answered.
"At a staggering 45 feet long and 5 tons, they're the largest predators ever to walk on North America."added Chris.
"Oh. Good to know. So it shouldn't be too hard to find one." Martin was relieved. But not by much.
"You got it bro!"replied his younger brother, oblivious to the older Kratt's nervousness. A moment of silence, before Martin decided to address the elephant in the room.
"So.... what are we gonna do once we do find one?"
Chris and Nigel froze in their tracks.
"I haven't the slightest clue." Nigel admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Chris was at a loss of words, like a canoeist without a paddle.
"Me neither. Guess we really hadn't thought this whole thing through."
As he looked to his feet sheepishly, the Kratt in green spied something on the forest floor.
T. rex are not the only creatures around.
"Hey guys. Check this out."he said, summoning the attention of his companions. "This must be a track way of some sort."
The English naturalist looked around for more clues, his eyes handing on a small bush. "And look - you can see here these leaves have been nibbled, these twigs have been snapped off, there's been a vegetarian browsing here."
Analyzing the trackway further, Martin beamed. "Whoa! Look at this, the first evidence of dinosaurs. It's hard to see, but you can see this footprint here. Three toes. This is the classic theropod dinosaur–"
"That's the same family the T. rex is in." Chris interjected.
"Stand on two legs, they're bipedal. It looks like there's a whole group of them here, not as big as T. rex of course, and vegetarians, you can tell by the leaves that they've eaten. And they've gone this way." Nigel deduced.
"This is a big track way, there must be quite a number of them."the Kratt in green observed.
"And they've gone down this way. C'mon!" Martin eagerly followed the trackway, his initial fear gone, replaced with excitement.
It was all Chris and Nigel could do to catch up. "Martin, wait up!"
Their hunch is right.
The time traveling trio trekked further, coming to a stop in a wide clearing.
"Shhh. Guys. That bush is rustling."the Kratt in blue whispered, pointing to said bush.
"And this is what normally happens when you're searching for reptiles: you hear them before you see them, hidden scurrying away through the bushes."said Nigel. "They're still moving around there."
Chris was ecstatic to say the very least, his Creaturepod at the ready. "How exciting! These could be our very first dinosaurs!"
The foliage continued to rustle until it gave up a tall, ostrichlike creature, eying the trio of strange creatures with curious beady eyes.
"Are you guys seeing the same thing I am?"said Martin, utterly amazed.
"Ornithomimus." Nigel quickly identified the animal as it slowly came out of hiding. "I've seen the fossils in museums."
"If I remember my Latin correctly, Ornithomimus means 'bird mimic'."stated Chris.
"You can see why. Exactly like an ostrich." Nigel noted as the Ornithomimus lightly bobbed its head. "Let's see how close we can get."
The trio had barely approached five paces when the Ornithomimus sounded a piercing shriek that startled the strange mammals, forcing them back.
"That went right through me!" Nigel shook.
"That was a warning." Chris replied, heart hammering.
"Check it out!" As they looked to where Martin pointed, they were in for a surprise: out of the underbrush, dozens upon dozens of heads shot up in response to the dinosaur's call. Soon the entire herd had appeared from the forest.
"All the others are all looking up. He must have been the sentry."noted Nigel. "The others are looking at us now, heads popping up all over the place."
"Like daisies!"the Kratt in blue exclaimed, drawing blank looks from his peers.
"They're vegetarians."the English naturalist informed the camera crew.
"But I don't think they'd turn their beaks up at the odd insect or bit of meat." Chris replied, as in that moment, one of the ostrich dinosaurs plucked a scorpion in its beak and devoured it.
"Wow. They're completely the opposite of what you'd imagine a dinosaur to be like."said the Kratt in blue, who was like a kid on Christmas morning. He was more than thrilled to come face to face with creatures that he had only previously known from books and fossil bones, now in the flesh. Living, breathing animals.
Chris wanted to take things a little further. "Deploy body scan!" Creaturepod in hand, the younger Kratt scanned the nearest ostrich dinosaur who tilted its head in curiosity as it was briefly engulfed by a flash of green.
"Receiving image!"
Martin and Nigel gathered around Chris, awaiting the results. He then pulled out a holographic infrared image of his findings
"These beaks at the front have ridges inside, just like modern ducks and geese, and they use those to crush their food. And I can confirm that these guys are warm blooded."
"This is terrific."the naturalist remarked. "Our first dinosaurs."
Satisfied that these strange creatures were not a threat, the flock of birdlike Ornithomimus returned to the business of foraging for food.
These Ornithomimus will soon be extinct, too, unless, of course, the boys can save one.
"I'd love a breeding herd of Ornithomimus,"said Nigel, addressing the camera crew, "but we need a technique for catching them." Then it occurred to him. "And I think this will work. I've done it with ostriches. Hey, Martin. Do you have any socks on you?"
Martin dug through his backpack until he found what he was looking for. "Way ahead of you, Nigel."
"Thanks. You slip a sock over their head. As soon as you cover their eyes, they calm down."
"But if Ornithomimus are anything like ostriches, they can run at 40 miles per hour."said Chris skeptically.
"There's so many in this herd, if we can get in their midst there will be a commotion and hopefully I can grab hold of one of them. Martin, you take the left side. Chris, the right."
"You got it!"interjected the Kratt Brothers simultaneously as all three exchanged fist bumps before getting into their positions. The flock of Ornithomimus foraged along the clearing, some browsing the foliage while others were pecking the ground, unaware of the three humans slowly creeping towards them.
"On my call." Nigel cautioned, getting closer by the second. "Wait for it. Wait for it..."
Some of the birdlike dinosaurs were starting to get nervous.
"Now!"
The trio sprang into action, racing into the midst of the startled flock which took off in fright. Amidst the confusion, Nigel had managed to wrangle a single individual while the Kratt Brothers cut off any possible escape routes. It took the strength of all three of them to hold the struggling dinosaur still enough for Nigel to attempt placing the sock over its head.
The Ornithomimus was nearly subdued and blinded when they heard a noise, loud and ominous like the rolling thunder.
But now there's something else to contend with, something much, much bigger.
Just as suddenly as they fled, the flock of Ornithomimus dashed back the way they came, stampeding straight towards them. Amidst the pandemonium, the trio released their catch to rejoin the group, scurrying as fast as their long legs could carry.
"Something's chasing them." Martin observed, watching the fast moving dinosaurs fleeing in panic. Then the earth began to tremble. A great crashing in the undergrowth could be heard and the trees shook, before three gigantic shapes emerged from the foliage, thundering straight towards the men!
It looks like the T.rex have found Nigel and the Kratt Brothers before they could find them.
Blaring roars filled the air as the three Tyrannosaurus came to investigate the strange creatures in their midst, their formidable jaws towering over twelve feet above them.
"No sudden moves." Nigel whispered to the brothers.... until he realized that the spaces they had once occupied were now empty. He turned in time to see Martin and Chris running the hell out of Dodge.
"Plan B: Run!"
Suddenly the English naturalist bolted after them, with the tyrannosaurs hot on his tail!
Now on the run, Nigel took a quick glance behind, then wished he hadn't; all three of the massive theropod dinosaurs were now giving chase with open jaws! He quickened his pace. Ahead of him, the Kratt Brothers raced deeper into the forest, weaving around the trees.
"This way!" he heard Chris urging.
Nigel and the brothers do have one advantage. T.rex is so top heavy, that if they trip, the fall can kill them.
The three adventurers ducked under a fallen tree, narrowly escaping the snapping jaws of one of the voracious carnivores.
A bite of the trio isn't worth the risk.
"Down, mates! Get down!" Nigel urged Martin and Chris, pulling them out of the tyrannosaurs' line of sight. The T.rex trio meanwhile, roared their frustration over their snacks slipping away.
"That was a close one."panted Martin.
"Too close." corrected Chris, heart still hammering.
"Predators don't like confined spaces like this. And that's why the T.rex are staying back there, I'm sure."said Nigel.
"In that case, I think I speak for us all when I say what we oughta do now is head back to camp."said the younger Kratt once they've all caught their breath. The other two agreed without objections. The three explorers retraced their steps back to camp; they've had enough excitement for one day.
Day One over and there's no T.rex to take home. At least there's no sign of the meteorite, either, but it can't be far away.
**********
The next morning.....
The following morning, the camp has some visitors.
When Nigel straightened up from washing his face in the lake adjacent to camp, the sight that greets his astonished eyes was a huge herd of horned dinosaurs, many as large as elephants, drawn to the water's edge by food and drink.
More creatures in the last throes of their existence.
"Martin! Chris! Come look at this!" The brothers came running at Nigel's call.
"What is it, Nigel?"asked Martin before he spotted the herd. His eyes flew wide open. "Whoa... Now that's a glorious sight to wake up to."
Chris beamed. "Triceratops! And it's a big herd of them!"
The oldest nodded. "This is a tremendous sight. When the fossils were found, they named these Triceratops horridus. It means 'horrid three-horned face'."
"What?!"exclaimed the brothers simultaneously.
"How could they be?"questioned Martin, appalled at such a negative sentiment over what were clearly magnificent and beautiful creatures.
"That's bogus!" Chris interjected.
Nigel nodded. "I agree. They are absolutely gorgeous! And big, too! Eight tons." He then pointed to a very large individual that stood out among the others. "And one over there, it's a big male, is at least 25 feet, eight metres long.
"The good thing for us is there are a lot of them."
"Yeah, I could watch them all day."the older Kratt replied.
"What I mean is they're prey animals for T.rex." Nigel corrected.
"Speaking of which, I've seen rex tracks over there."said Chris, pointing along the edge of the lake.
"Prey and predator attracted to waterholes."said Martin pensively. "Just like back in Africa."
"Let's go follow the tracks and see if we can find a T.rex lair." Nigel decided at last, leaving the lakeside behind.
With Chris leading the way, the trio boldly went where few creatures would tread, following the trackway that led uphill and over rocks.
The footprints are fresh and it looks like a well-used track. T.rex are fast movers, reaching 25 miles an hour when they need to.
The trio continued to follow the massive three-toed footprints.
Nigel and the Kratt Brothers are hoping these ones aren 't too far away. Before long, the single trackway was followed by several more. Their quarry was not alone.
The tracks are really beginning to tell a story.
"Check this out."said Chris as he stooped down to analyze the blackened earth. "A depression in the ash. That was a big tail sweep."
Nigel was quick to catch on. "There was a kerfuffle here. Another tail drag over there."
  "The tracks are going on. Maybe we're getting towards the center of the territory." Martin deduced, picking up his pace. The other two quickly followed.
  What they don't realize is they're already in the centre of their territory!
The trio heard the T.rexes long before they saw them, and approaching the next ridge, Nigel froze and mnhis tracks. "Crouch down! Get over here!"he urged quietly.
"Martin, get down!"whispered Chris as he too saw what awaited them on the other side. At least five of the monstrous predators were congregated in the ashen crater, its floor littered with white bones bleached in the blazing sun. Fortunately, the tyrannosaurs were oblivious to the presence of the humans hidden nearby, staying downwind of the theropod's advanced olfactory senses.
"This is their home." The Kratt in green deduced. "You can tell by the bones scattered all over the place."
"They obviously bring food back here." Martin noted as he watched the tyrannosaurs engaging in their daily routine, most notably a younger pair wrestling one another with open jaws.
"That's terrific!"whispered Nigel. "That kerfuffle back there, that must have been the juveniles fighting over scraps of food."
"That looks like dangerous play." Martin remarked, visibly wincing as the tyrannosaurs continued to tussle, locking their jaws with one another, jagged teeth glistening in the sunlight.
"Yeah."replied Chris. "T.rexes have huge jaw muscles,"
"And according to the latest research, their bite force is estimated to be over ten times more powerful than a lion's!" Nigel informed, earning gobsmacked looks from the brothers. "And there's males and females here."
The younger Kratt nodded. "In the fossil record, T.rex and their relatives have been found together. That's a clue that they were sociable animals."
"They're a real mob, like a gang looking for trouble."the Kratt in blue commented as the young rexes continued sparring, only halting when one of the older animals roared their displeasure.
"They really interact."said the English naturalist thoughtfully. "I wonder if they hunt in packs."
Chris shuddered at the thought. "Just when one T.rex was bad enough."
Over the ridge, all activities in the crater were called to a halt upon the bellow of the largest Tyrannosaurus, a robust female who promptly lumbered away. The others fell into line.
"They're leaving."whispered Martin as he, Chris and Nigel crouched lower to avoid detection as the predators were only a few yards away, the earth shaking with each footfall.
It's one thing to find a T-Rex, but it's another thing to take one home. Fortunately, dinosaurs lay eggs and they're a lot easier to carry.
With the T.rex gang out of the picture, the threesome entered the crater. "We can go and have a look now."said Nigel. "See if you two can find any eggs or a nesting site." The Kratt Brothers nodded, and the trio split up to cover more area, leaving no stone or bone unturned in their search for dinosaur eggs.
"I like what they've done with the place, but a bit heavy on the carcass." Martin remarked, carefully tip toeing over the dry bones.
  Amongst the remains of the T.rex victims littered across the den, Nigel finds what he's looking for.
Unfortunately, he's too late.
Before Nigel's feet was a broken eggshell the size of a football. Martin and Chris soon joined in, their search also fruitless. "They've either been broken into by a predator, or more likely, they're last season's eggs."said the Englishman, inspecting the fragment.
Martín heaved a sigh. "That's a bummer."
Nigel turned to the cameraman. "It's so disappointing. If we could have found a fresh nest and got the eggs, that would have been the easiest option."
  "We have to go."warned Chris. "The T.rex gang could be back any minute." The older pair nodded their agreement; they could easily be added to the boneyard if the predatory dinosaurs found them in their lair.
"At least we know where they live."chimed Martin optimistically. The trio reluctantly retraced their steps back in the way they had come.
Another day and they're still no closer to saving a T.rex.
Twilight in Late Cretaceous Montana, and the three creature adventurers were back at camp. Above them, shooting stars raced across the night sky. Unfazed by this phenomenon, the creatures of earth carried out their routine, business as usual. But for everyone present, it was a bad omen.
And up above are the first signs that the meteorite is closing in. Streaking across tonight's sky are shooting stars. Huge boulders plough into the Earth 's atmosphere at 20, 000 miles an hour. They are the precursor of something much, much bigger.
"Look at this cosmological activity. Those are meteors."said Nigel, seated on his outdoor folding chair by the fire as he addressed the cameraman. "They burn up in the atmosphere, but they're in the bow wave of the meteorite."
  Nearby, Martin was seated on a log close to the fire toasting marshmallows while Chris stood a bit away, observing the cosmic phenomenon from a tripod mounted telescope. Presently, he looked up from his observations, and added, "And the meteorite, when that comes, it's gonna crash into the Earth. That's the problem. And we're running out of time." After disassembling the telescope, Kratt in green walked over to the fire and joined his companions, taking a cup of cocoa offered to him by his brother.
"I'm hoping tomorrow goes better and we can save a T.rex or two."said Nigel optimistically.
"Here's hoping." Martin replied.
"I'll drink to that."chimed Chris before the three men clanked their cups together, ready for a he challenges of tomorrow.
**********
The next day...