Diane Van Der Westhuizen

Wild Avengers: Defenders of the Animal Kingdom Diane Van Der Westhuizen

Publisher Marketing: Morbidius Ultimatum is bored. And impatient. He is eager to complete his macabre collection of the last surviving member of every species on earth and add his most prized specimens: rhino, elephant and the last human being. This diabolical character thrives on negative energy generated by the human race, and he seizes the perfect opportunity to make himself so powerful that no one will be able to stop him from carrying out his ghoulish plan. A whale, Vida (Spanish for 'life') has beached herself on the banks of the River Novus and sparked an international media frenzy, and Morbidius knows that her death will cause such sadness, misery and negativity around the world that it will feed him enough energy to make him unstoppable. But the seeds of Morbidius's destruction lies in his greed and impatience. Before his foul plan was put into action, he was idly pursuing the beautiful morphus butterfly in the Amazon. However, in order to destroy the species, he has to first get rid of two pesky scientists dedicated to the survival of the butterfly. This puts Morbidius on a collision course with the scientist's daughter, Chilli, and her friends Ty and his three-legged baboon friend, Oubaas. The three friends are drawn into Morbidius's crazy world and it becomes their mission to save Chilli's parents and, finally, the world. But Chilli first has to overcome her own fears before she is able to destroy Morbidius. The Power Eater, a symbol of her deepest fear, stands between success and failure. It is only when Chilli conquers her biggest fear that she finally realises the power she wields. However, Chilli, Ty and Oubaas are not alone in their mission. Gaia, the personification of planet earth, sends them the assistance they need to overcome the dangers they encounter. They meet a dead Admiral who spends eternity hunting hunters looking for their next trophy, an African shaman who helps them find the Valley of Bones (the legendary elephants' graveyard) where the Ivory Bow is kept that will destroy Morbidius's Dark Heart, and other weird creatures that help them in their task. As the whale weakens Morbidius grows more powerful, but the children's determination and fighting spirit remain undeterred, even in the face of the ghastly mutandii (Morbidius's army of genetically engineered giant cockroaches) that pursue them relentlessly. Will the children stop Morbidius before his 'earth clock' chimes for the last time?