Chuckles

By Elf Lategan

Join this young hyena girl as she faces disaster at a very young age, read how she grows up and faces various obstacles and learns important life lessons.
This book teaches facts about hyenas in the best African way, through a story!

The story plays off in the Kruger National Park, South Africa and will certainly endear Africa and hyenas to the reader.

Sketches, photos and facts included.

An ideal read for any one aged 6 to 96!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elf Lategan
• Release date: Mar 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9780620993753

Elf Lategan

I Live in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa and am lucky enough to live close to the Kruger National Park.This gives me ample opportunity to study and enjoy African Wildlife. I grew up on a game farm and have always had an extreme passion for African wildlife and stories. This is the first published work, there are so many more stories to follow....

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Chuckles

– shattered dreams and survival -

an African Bush story about hyenas

By Elf

© Elf 2022

Chuckles

Published by Yahena Arts

Lydenburg, South Africa

[e-mail]

ISBN 978-0-620-99375-3

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Layout by Boutique Books

Dedicated to Leon, my partner in Chucky-loving and more

One sunny morning, late in September of 2009, a baby saw the first light of life under a big, grumpy old baobab growing off the shoulder of an abandoned bush path in the northern regions of the Kruger National Park in Southern Africa. This was no ordinary baby; this baby was destined for great pain and adventure but eventually she would rise above all that life could throw in her path. But let’s not get carried away! We are here to tell a story.

She was a princess born to the Yahena Clan. Her mother Lilwane was the matriarch of this clan and their kingdom spread across the plains north of Orpen Camp. So rich was the bush here, especially after the spring rains had livened up the vegetation earlier in September, that Chuckles and her sibling brothers were hardly noticed by the other animals roaming the area because the tall savannah grass hid the new-borns from danger and their den was comfortable and well chosen by Lilwane.

Chuckles had two little brothers who were born with her this day, and they mewled and crawled over each other, seeking comfort in the snuggly fur of their mother’s belly and suckling happily away at her rich milk with not a worry in the world or any idea that there was a vast expanse of Africa laying just beyond the rim of their spacious den.

The bush was calm, and cicadas were singing in the acacia trees. Bees buzzed near the impala lilies and a vervet monkey was noisily scowling at her young, who kept jumping just beyond her reach in the branches of the baobab tree, hopping away with the last handful of berries she had so painstakingly collected for their dinner. Mother Monkey was really most upset with the naughty little scoundrels.

This outrageousness did not, however, bother the new litter in the den at all and dewy-eyed Chuckles gazed up lovingly at her mother and knew – she just knew – that everything would be perfect, always. What really bothered her, though, was the fact that her siblings did not look like her mother. To Chuckles, this was very confusing. She wondered where her mother had found these strange looking brothers.

Mom? she asked Lilwane nervously, where did you get my brothers? Why are they black? They don’t look like hyenas at all!

Lilwane giggled and said, "Chuckles, my dear, you