Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness-Chapter 830 - 826: Gunshot

Bi Fang checked in at another legendary oasis, leading Alpha through the canyon as they continued their journey eastward.

The West African Crocodiles on the riverbank lay quietly, basking lazily in the warm sunshine with their mouths open, while birds with feathers of black, white, grey, and light yellow—about the size of pigeons—lingered in the waters behind them.

These birds were vividly colorful, standing out conspicuously from a distance.

They stepped into the water, creating subtle ripples as they captured the small fish in the river. Two of them, seemingly unsatisfied, searched around for a bit and then set their sights on a nearby West African Crocodile. They hopped along the bank before suddenly jumping into its mouth, pecking away.

[Ahh, what kind of birds are these, they look so pretty]

[Hisss, aren't they afraid of getting eaten by the crocodiles?]

[I've seen this before, plover birds!]

[I think I read about it in that article, they're eating the meat scraps from the crocodile's mouth, right? They also help clean the mouth, the two share a symbiotic relationship, so the crocodile won't eat the bird]

"Uh..." Bi Fang scratched his eyebrow, "That's probably not true."

[Ahh that]

[It's not true?]

[Uh oh, we're about to be corrected by Master Fang]

"The scientific name for 'toothpick birds' is the Egyptian Plover, and the symbiotic relationship with crocodiles you mentioned derives from a record made by an Ancient Greek writer named Herodotus, in a book called 'Histories.'"

"This book chronicles the sights and sounds Herodotus encountered on his travels as well as the history of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. It is the first complete prose work to survive in the history of Western literature."

"It contains a record of the so-called 'toothpick bird' you've mentioned. According to Herodotus, there are Nile crocodiles that lie on the riverbank with their mouths open, allowing a bird called 'trochilus' to fly into its mouth to remove rotten flesh and leeches."

"However, from a biological perspective, crocodiles don't need their teeth cleaned. Unlike mammals, their teeth can regenerate and be replaced if they go bad."

"Each crocodile tooth consists of a functional tooth, a replacement tooth, and a tooth plate. Stem cells in the raised part of the tooth plate can develop into new, replacement teeth. It is because of this unique tooth structure that the transition from functional mature teeth to new teeth in crocodiles can proceed smoothly."

"Furthermore, crocodile teeth are widely spaced and can't trap food particles."

The teeth of crocodiles are conical, and so are the gaps between them. Their main function is to capture and kill animals, and then swallow them whole, not to chew. Therefore, there are no meat scraps in their mouths, nor any pieces of meat stuck there.

"Even if there are bacteria on their teeth, that's not something a bird can handle. In other words, birds aren't really gaining much by being in a crocodile's mouth."

"Most importantly, aside from what Herodotus witnessed over two thousand years ago, no other scientist has observed this phenomenon."

"The photographs circulating online of Egyptian Plovers picking the teeth of crocodiles are actually digitally recreated based on Herodotus's description."

For years, people have believed the story of the 'toothpick bird' without question and have hailed the friendship between the plover and the crocodile as an example of mutually beneficial symbiosis among animals.

But as time has passed, more and more people have begun to question this claim, with the greatest doubt being that as more tourists visit the African continent, including numerous photographers and photography enthusiasts,

if they witnessed the interesting scene of small birds entering a crocodile's mouth, they would surely capture this precious moment.

However, not a single photograph of such an event exists.

Furthermore, many scientists who have been to Africa for field research have never witnessed this extraordinary phenomenon.

"In the 2400 years since Herodotus's death, only two zoologists have claimed to have seen 'toothpick birds' entering crocodile mouths to feed, but unfortunately, their accounts lack specific times and places, and without concrete evidence, they are not convincing."

"Later, to unravel this ancient mystery, a bird specialist named Mr. Howell from the Ugly Country University of California traveled to the Gambela region of Ethiopia for a two and a half month investigation."

"In the lengthy two-and-a-half-month investigation, Professor Howell worked tirelessly, venturing out early and returning late. He discovered many interesting habits of the Egyptian Plover that were previously unknown. However, he never observed the plovers catching insects inside the mouths of crocodiles."

"Ultimately, the biologist Thomas Howell wrote a book in 1979, generally stating that he had never witnessed such a phenomenon himself. Some authors from history claimed to have seen it, but those authors aren't particularly reliable."

"According to his research, even if the story of crocodiles and plover birds being good friends as described by Herodotus was based on truth, it was a very rare phenomenon. It definitely isn't a primary food source for the birds, so the crocodile and the Egyptian Plover do not have a symbiotic relationship."

"It shouldn't be regarded as an example of mutual symbiosis between animals."

"This belongs to individual behavior and cannot be considered a common trait of a species."

"The fact that we can see plovers entering the mouths of crocodiles is also a stroke of luck."

[Ahh that was hard to finally see one that's recognizable, only to have Master Fang prove me wrong in the end.]

[How difficult it is to survive in the wild. I don't recognize any, and the one I finally know turns out to be wrong.]

Bi Fang laughed heartily.

[Then why doesn't the crocodile eat the plover?]

[Yeah, what's the bird doing in the crocodile's mouth?]

"Probably picking out parasites or something," he guessed.

Bi Fang studied the crocodile for a moment.

"All animals have one trait in common, they stop hunting once they're full."

"Crocodiles do not lie with their mouths open when hunting; instead, they float quietly underwater, revealing only their eyes and nostrils. If they're lying with their mouths open, it means they're sated and won't hunt, even if a bird hops around its mouth."

"It's like those crocodile shows where people get applause for the thrilling spectacle of sticking their hands or heads into a crocodile's gaping mouth. Before beginning such a performance, they definitely ensure the crocodile is well-fed."

"Besides, crocodiles are much slower in reaction and movement than birds; even if they tried, they wouldn't catch them, which is why they're lenient. However, whether they'll eat them is not guaranteed."

No sooner had he spoken than everyone heard a loud clack of teeth.

Suddenly, the previously motionless West African Crocodile snapped its jaws shut. Of the two plovers, only one escaped, while the other was inevitably caught and swallowed in a few gulps.

After the successful strike, the West African Crocodile quickly turned around and swam into the river, out of sight.

Before long, calm returned, and nearby crocodiles acted as if nothing had happened.

[Ssss, Master Fang was actually right.]

[Truly, 'Man dies for wealth, as birds die for food.']

[My goodness, astonishing.]

Several plovers pecked at a small fish together.

As they delved deeper, the pollution level of the Blackwater River started to diminish. It was no longer black, but a pale grey, and the previously visible wild camels became scarcer, replaced by more West African Crocodiles.

The dense population of crocodiles along the shore made the viewers' scalps tingle, especially as Bi Fang walked past, nearly brushing against them, the tension peaked.

[Why does it feel like there are more and more crocodiles?]

[There's hardly any place to step.]

[Scared, too terrifying.]

[Master Fang is really brave]

"This is a normal phenomenon. Strictly speaking, the West African Crocodile and the camel don't have much overlap in their lives. The West African Crocodile doesn't rely on camels for food, but mainly fishes, so the fewer camels, the more crocodiles there will be, because where there are fewer camels, there are also more fish."

Bi Fang looked at the river and offered a simple explanation.

Excessive pollution can cause fish in the rivers to become scarce, reducing the food supply for the West African Crocodiles. Naturally, they wouldn't approach areas where the river has turned black due to the pollution from camel feces.

Such situations are not uncommon in Africa. For instance, the Mara River is one of the habitats where hippos congregate. There, during the dry season, many hippos are squeezed into small lakes.

They expel 8.5 tons of feces daily, and the excessive accumulation of waste makes the environment of these small lakes very poor.

It's still manageable during the dry season because the water bodies are not large and the impact is localized. But when the rainy season comes and the waters merge into a large river, feces that have not yet been fully decomposed by microorganisms get washed away by the river water and are seen floating everywhere.

[A bit disgusting]

[This is heavy stuff]

[I want to see it]

[Pretty cool]

[What a feces factory]

Over time, feces accumulating at the bottom of the water and fermenting by microorganisms produce gases like methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia, leading to a significant reduction in the oxygen content in the water and a large number of fish dying.

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

When the rainy season arrives, the surface of the Mara River will be covered with many dead fish, and these suffocated fish become a rather special phenomenon.

And this is a vicious cycle. The death of fish in the river exacerbates the accumulation of decaying matter, thereby overloading the river's ability to purify itself, leading to further pollution and making it less suitable for wildlife.

If it weren't for the fact that Nile Crocodiles in there don't rely mainly on fish for survival, like West African Crocodiles do, they would almost be extinct.

However, not all animal feces are bad. If the amount is appropriate, it can actually increase the number of organisms in the river, providing nutrients.

"Our location here has an appropriate level of feces, so it's not too polluted. That's why there's a good number of fish, and naturally, more crocodiles as well."

The tall camels disappeared from view, and even with the ground covered in crocodiles, the entire canyon seemed much emptier.

Too empty, the canyon began to echo.

As Bi Fang led a huge camel through, the West African Crocodiles remained motionless, but they startled a flock of birds.

The birds circled in the sky for a while, waiting for Bi Fang to leave, and then returned to the ground to continue searching for their lunch in the river sand.

This canyon is not made up of many tall rocks, but rather a rift valley, with cliffs on both sides rising dozens of meters high, and occasionally you can see a natural stone arch bridge overhead.

Looking at the grand spectacle that resembled the gates of heaven, the audience in front of their screens were awestruck, and even Bi Fang himself felt refreshed and uplifted.

"Taking in nature's grandeur can broaden one's horizons. If you feel tired of life, go traveling. Go to the desert, the Gobi, the grasslands, the forests, look at the starry sky, and look at the giant trees."

Bi Fang took a deep breath and his eyes smiled, obviously in a very good mood.

[No money though]

[Master Fang should sponsor us]

[Start a travel fund]

[Keep dreaming]

[I think Master Fang's next step should be space. I heard rockets are commercialized now. With Master Fang's current assets, he could probably afford a ticket, right?]

[We'll chip in; not enough, let's pool and send Master Fang to the sky!]

[Add one, let's raise money to send Master Fang to space!]

[To space!]

Bi Fang joked with the audience for a moment and was about to say something when a gunshot interrupted all further words.

The gunshot thundered, echoing endlessly over the canyon, and the birds that had just settled were startled into flight, overlapping in the canyon.

What's going on!?

Everyone was shocked.

Bi Fang's viewers, having seen plenty of his live streams, were all too familiar with the sound.

Gunshots!

Why would there be gunshots?

Bi Fang swallowed the rest of his words and, with an alert alpha camel that was frightened, became cautious.

Animals have a natural wariness of unfamiliar and loud noises, especially herbivores, which are easily spooked.

Alpha had almost jumped, but thankfully Bi Fang had pulled it down in time, and he quickly drew it under the shelter of the rock walls, pressing against the stone wall as much as possible to minimize exposure.

"It's above us."

Bi Fang didn't need to identify the direction, he knew it from the shadows of the rocks above, his expression turning sour.

It's an exaggeration to say, but with Bi Fang's current physical condition and capabilities, he had no fear of hand-to-hand combat with anyone, but when it came to firearms, he maintained ample caution.

Before Alpha had a chance to steady itself, a second gunshot sounded from above the canyon. Judging from the sound, the distance had not closed, indicating it came from the same location as the first shot.

What are they shooting at?

Bi Fang quickly thought and tried to discern the type of firearm from the gunshots.

Different firearms have completely distinct sounds when they are fired, and many seasoned veterans can roughly identify the type of gun from the sound it makes.

The sound of a handgun firing echoes like firecrackers.

The crisp and rhythmic "pop, pop" signifies an automatic rifle.

The incessant "tat-tat-tat" that seems close is definitely a submachine gun.

More specifically, something like the M249 SAW sounds like a blasting noise, and the MG42 is akin to the sound of scissors cutting through oilcloth trousers.

But the current gunshot sounded very dull, and for a moment, Bi Fang couldn't make out what it was.

But soon, Bi Fang realized he didn't need to think too much about it.

Soon after the second shot, Bi Fang, with his head raised and eyes fixed on the canyon above, witnessed a sharp-horned animal, shaped like a large deer, falling from the cliff's edge.

His sharp dynamic vision and reflexes even allowed him to clearly see the fresh red wound on the animal's abdomen.

Regardless of whether the wound was fatal, when Bi Fang saw it falling from the several-dozen-meter-high cliff, he knew that the gazelle was done for.