Student Question
Why can safari members kill the dinosaur marked with red paint in "A Sound of Thunder"?
Quick answer:
In "A Sound of Thunder," safari members can kill the dinosaur marked with red paint because it is destined to die soon from natural causes, ensuring minimal impact on the future. Time Safari, Inc. meticulously plans hunts by marking such animals to prevent altering future events. For instance, the marked Tyrannosaurus rex was fated to die from a falling tree, making it a safe target. All traces, like bullets, must be removed to maintain this careful balance.
The Time Safari, Inc. folks are doing their best to avoid doing anything that will change future events. They built a path that everyone must stay on, so that nothing is disturbed in the old landscape. They previously sent someone back in time to chart opportunities, to watch when animals will be killed by natural forces. Then they mark these animals with red paint so that everyone knows which beasts can be safely hunted and killed. In this case, the Tyrannosaurus rex was going to be killed by a falling tree, anyway. This made it a desired target, and one that should not impact anything in the future. And sure enough, after this particular hunt is over, the tree still falls. But the dinosaur is already dead by then. And someone must go back and retrieve the bullets from the dead body. They can’t be left behind. Leave no trace.
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