David backed away, on instinct he wanted to be further away from the ape. The open jaws, the sharp pointy canine teeth seeming to glisten in the bright light. There was an anger in the creature’s eyes that he could never remember having seen before in the otherwise docile beast’s behaviour.

Backing away was not helping, however. The ape started to advance quite quickly in fits and starts, not as if it were trying to catch up with David, but simply as if to maintain the distance between them. This was completely out of character, as far as David was concerned. He started to look around for why it might have come on.

He could not see any young that might have come along since had last been in that part of the jungle. Looking around the clearing he could not see any blood or evidence of injury, and the the ape was moving apparently effortlessly, not as though she were injured.

Then it dawned upon him; she may have been attacked by a human since he was last here. He hoped not; that would be most inconvenient.