The Saga of Sue

The Cretaceous Period, a time where dinosaurs dominated the land and many different species thrived. Of course, the Earth wasn’t as familiar as it is today. Our own continent, North America, was split in two by a large inland sea. This sea provided the creatures in North America a lush, green habitat.

The fields of North America were lush enough to support the largest dinosaurs. Surrounded by forest, it was a haven for herbivores. If you were to look into a grassy field in Cretaceous America, you may have spotted a herd of triceratops grazing upon the lush grass, Edmontosaurus walking by as well, with young following right behind them. But beyond the safety of the herd, waiting in the forest, lies one of nature’s most deadliest predators, Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Tyrannosaurus was the most fearsome predators of North America, weighing in at 7 tons and reaching lengths of 40 feet long. This predator was a thing to fear, and it was hungry…

Edmontosaurus was a large hadrosaur (duck bill) that was aware of it’s surrounding constantly, and it was uneasy. One young edmontosaurus ignored it’s instincts and traveled towards the edge of the plain to forage for food, while the rex was lying in wait in the underbrush. As soon as the edmontosaurus approached a patch of grass, the rex plunged out of the forest like a bat out of hell!

The edmontosaurus ran for dear life, growing more desperate with each step. But sadly, it’s effort wasn’t good enough. The rex clamped down upon the neck of the young edmontosaur, crushing it’s spine in the process. The edmontosaurus’s world got darker, darker, gone…

The king of the Cretaceous brought down it’s prey and started a ruckus among the rest of the heard, sending the hadrosaurs in a frenzy of honks and panic.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex was definitely king, but this king was no king. It was a queen. A queen named “Sue”.

This is the story of the world’s most famous dinosaur. This is the life of Sue. Sue was the largest Tyrannosaurus ever found and was also the most complete.


Sue has just finished off her kill, while Troodons waited in the distance to pick at leftovers. But this queen longed not only for food, but for a mate as well. She must assure her species that their reign will continue.

As she left her kill, the troodons (small raptor-like dinosaurs) swarmed the remains, picking for scraps. They soon scattered when they heard a loud, terrifying noise that pierced the air. It was the call of a rex.

Sue’s call echoed past the valley, hoping to arouse any nearby males. But the rest of the animals in the plain knew that more Tyrannosaurs would be coming. Sue continued to bellow for the next 15 minutes, making the other dinosaurs worried and tense.

The sun was setting over prehistoric America and Sue decided to find a place to rest and wait for a mate. She entered the forest once more to lie down for the night. The cretaceous was a different place at night. Shrill calls can be heard echoing through the night as animals scurried in the underbrush. The queen of the dinosaurs only worried about finding a mate, but she eventually fell asleep.



6 Hours Later…

Sue woke to a loud, terrifying sound. A familiar trumpeting sound:  A male Tyrannosaur. She immediately returned the call, as she looked out over the plain. She saw a large, healthy-looking male rex. Fresh blood stained it’s teeth and lips as a deceased Ornithomimus laid at it’s feet.

The two creatures finally made eye contact. The male made a trumpeting noise, Sue then returned the call. The male slowly approached Sue, weary. Even though Sue called out for the rex, it could still not be trusted. Tyrannosaurs were very territorial and vicious, especially a lone male. As the male continued to approach, Sue started to growl. She became nervous. The male stopped, knowing that an angered female could mean death. Females were believed to be larger and more robust than males. The male just stopped and waited ‘til she was comfortable.

Sue stared at this male with nervousness for a straight 10 minutes, while the male eagerly waited. Sue then started to approach the male. She examined the male to see if he was mate material. He had a few scars, no ticks, pretty robust for a male: he was perfect. They started to sniff each other and prepared for the copulation.



One Week Later…

A week after copulation, Sue finally laid a batch of 10 eggs. She would have to guard the eggs for about a month. She laid by a pile of debris that provided the eggs safety, just like a gator’s nest. Not only that, but she also picked a secluded spot in the forest. To her, any animal who approached the nest was a threat, including her mate.

As the male laid sleeping, Sue started to growl. The tired male awoke to see Sue standing over him mouth agape, ready to defend her nest. She started to lunge at the male as he jumped to his feet. He roared back at her, fending off the angry female. But with one mighty lunge forward, Sue grasped his snout in her mouth and shook violently. Sue let go of the wounded male and he retreated out of the area. Eventually, Sue chased him out to the edge of the forest.

She returned to her nest and lied down beside. As she laid there, she noticed some animals in the underbrush. She saw a pair of ornithomimus walk by about 50 feet way, gazing at the nest. She belched a bellow and they ran off in an instant.

Sue remained aware for an entire week, but has not gotten any food since she laid her eggs. She was weak, but she did not want to leave her eggs unattended. She heard squeaks coming from near the forest’s edge. There were three small leptoceratops. She grew ever more hungry within the presence of these small morsels. She put her maternal instincts aside and decided to sneak up and catch at least one, leaving the eggs alone.

The small ceratopsians grazed among the ferns at the forest’s edge. They remained aware of their surroundings while they ate. Every time they go take a bite, they looked up and in all directions. They were small enough for any predator to come and snatch them up, including a hungry queen….

With one powerful lunge, Sue exploded out of the forest with lightning speed and grabbed one leptoceratops by it’s tail, while the other two ran off. The hopeless dinosaur was hanging by it’s tail, flailing around, trying to escape. Sue then raised the little dinosaur 15 feet into the air. With one flick of her massive head, she flipped the little dinosaur upward and into her mouth. With one chomp, the little dinosaur landed halfway into Sue’s mouth, barely alive. One half of the leptoceratops still hung from Sue’s jaws. She then lumbered back to the nest. The other two leptoceratops watched as the rex carried off their companion.

Sue finally reached her nest, shocked to see what has happened. A lone Chirostenotes was raiding her nest. She saw the oviraptorid’s beak covered in the viscous goop of her eggs. She dropped the leptoceratops and sprang towards the doomed dinosaur.

The Chirostenotes had very little time to react. As soon as it saw Sue, his body was immediately shaken by Sue’s jaws, like a rag doll. Every shake shook the life from the helpless dinosaur. Even as it laid dying in her jaws, she shook with anger, making sure it was dead. After she was done, she looked beyond some ferns and saw another Chirostenotes waiting for the other.

Sue threw the dead dinosaur at the waiting Chirostenotes, scaring it off. Then she bellowed a roar of dread, anger, and despair. She went to see if she had anymore eggs. Thankfully, the dinosaur only took two eggs. She retrieved her Leptoceratops and the dead Chirostenotes. She still had a few weeks to guard her eggs. At least she has some food now,  but at the cost of her two eggs. Eight more to guard…



Two Weeks Later

“Squeak, squeak, squeak”. Sue awoke to a strange noise. She prepared to fend off some unseen scavenger near her nest. But there was no scavengers to be seen. “Squeak, reeehh. Squeak.” She finally realized that the sound was coming from inside the nest: the eggs have hatched.

Sue used her mighty jaws to gently dig out her new chicks. With delicate movements, she removed all the dirt to find eight, downy chicks. Each chick was about a foot long and covered in a downy, feathery fuzz. Each one a little bundle of joy. Sue made a calming sound, like a mix between a purr and a growl. The chicks were weary of this lumbering behemoth, but Sue’s warm purring reassured them.

One adventurous chick crawled out of it’s nest. It failed twice but eventually made it out, tumbling over the side. It wasn’t very graceful on it’s feet. Sue rubbed her nose against the new chick, making the first bond between mother and child. The young chick was then followed by three more siblings, Sue knew that they’d be a handful. The young chicks started to squeak out of hunger, Sue knew she had to get them food. As Sue lifted the chicks back into the nest, a smart and dangerous predator waited amongst the ferns waiting for the right moment….

Sue lumbered off towards the forest’s edge to find a meal for her young hatchlings. But her hatchlings didn’t stay in the nest. They started to explore their new world. One hatchling fumbled over the side of the mound and into a patch of ferns. It was followed by two more chicks. One chick was then greeted by an ominous pair of feet with sickle-claws. The chick looked up and was greeted by the chilling sight of a Dromaeosaurus. Dromaeosaurus was a kind of raptor, a lethal combination of intelligence, strength, and agility.

The young chick and the raptor stared each other down for a good five seconds, each puzzled by the sight of each other. The other chicks were weary as well. But in an instant, the young chick was snapped up by the raptor. The chick gave out a shrill shriek, causing the other chicks to retreat back to the nest. All of the young chicks screeched and shrieked with fear, hoping it would catch their mother’s attention. As the Dromaeosaurus tore off pieces of the chick, the ground started to shake.

Blasting in from the plains came Sue, immediately biting down onto the invading raptor. She crushed it’s spine in two and shook the life from it. The raptor yelped and screeched as it died in Sue’s jaws. As Sue opened her mouth, the raptor fell onto the forest floor with a thump, surely it was dead. Sadly, she wasn’t able to save the chick, but she was able to provide food. Now the new chicks knew they weren’t ready to venture out of the nest for a long time.

As the scrappy little chicks chewed at the raptor, Sue lied down beside them. She knew that they had to move in a few days to a safer location. Sue has been caring for her chicks for over a month and predators are now well aware of the chicks and their location. If they didn’t move soon, every predator would be chowing down on her chicks. But, she was too exhausted to worry about all this now. Right now, she would just relax with her new chicks. As her chicks nibbled their food, they moved over towards their colossal mother, cuddling against her. Sue felt relaxed within this moment of serenity in a not so peaceful world.



Two Weeks Later…

With each passing day, Sue’s chicks became more active. They’d always like to hunt insects, run down small rodents, and tussle with each other. They grew larger, from one foot to about two feet. Sue knew they had to leave the nest soon. By the end of the week, they ventured to find a new home.

It was a sight to see, a large killing machine followed by a troop of feathery rascals. Small predators were tempted by the sight of the small, tasty chicks, but bewildered by the sight of their mother.

Sue’s chicks were more than just excited, they were ecstatic about the whole world around them. Poking their noses into every rock and crevice, but still staying close to their mother. Every once in a while, they’d run across a scorpion or a spider. They’d even come across a rodent and run it down ‘til it found a burrow. Sue always kept watch, making sure they didn’t poke their noses into the den of a hungry predator.

After walking for awhile, they reached the forest’s edge. Sue and her chicks looked over the plains to see a few triceratops, a herd of edmontosaurs, few dozen ornithomimus, and a pair of ankylosaurs. The forest continued on the opposite side of the plains. Sue was reluctant to take her over active chicks into such risky territory, but there was no other choice. Sue wandered into the field first, followed by seven chicks. Some herbivores got anxious by the sight of Sue. Each chick followed their mother, feeling a little weary of the large herbivores, except for one mischievous chick….

Sue and her chicks were already across most of the plain, but then she heard a loud, grunting noise. She turned around to find one chick bothering the young of an enraged Ankylosaur mother. Sue rushed in to retrieve the chick, only to run into the club of the Ankylosaur. The pain was excruciating, slightly  fracturing her leg bone in the process. The chick ran off to join the others, followed by it’s injured mother. All of the Tyrannosaurs were bewildered by the accident and relieved to reach the other side of the plains.
   
Sue’s injury did not leave her crippled, but hunting and keeping track of her chicks became a whole lot tougher.

Sue limped through the forest as her chicks followed. Sue was in a daze of pain and decided to lay down. As soon as she laid down, the chicks swarmed her playfully. Sue didn’t mind the rambunctious chicks, until one jumped on her injured leg. She roared in pain and kicked off the little chick. The chicks huddled together, frightened of their enraged mother. Sue gave a long purr, to reassure the chicks she is not a threat. Sue eventually got up and led the chicks to a pond.

The chicks frolicked on the shores of the pond while Sue lapped up some water. She laid back down, to relieve the pressure on her foot. She watched as the chicks hunt down dragonflies, beetles, and even a passing lungfish. The chicks devoured the lungfish in a short time as Sue just lied in the shade, eventually falling asleep. Sadly, the serenity of the pond would not last…

Lying in the pond was a medium-sized crocodile, waiting for a meal. As the chicks played around the pond, the crocodile became more and more eager to lunge at them. But the croc had to wait for the right moment to attack.

One adventurous chick decided to bathe in the water , followed by another chick. They saw a fish pass under them and followed it in pursuit. As one chick lunged at the fish, it was immediately dragged down by the croc. This caused all the other chicks to panic, awaking Sue. As Sue lied her eyes upon the pond, it was too late. The croc took the young chick and swam up a creek, escaping the angry rex.

Sue sadly lost another chick, but she had to move on. The pond was obviously a bad choice as well. She lead her chicks deeper into the forest, trying to find sanctuary. But Sue’s chicks got stronger as each day passed by. They’ll be able to defend themselves and eventually leave Sue.



One Month Later…

A month has gone by since the pond incident. Since then, they traveled west towards a much larger pond,  the West Interior Seaway. The West Interior Seaway divided North America into two landforms, providing the land that Sue dwells in with enough water and nutrition to make parts of prehistoric North America a sub-tropical climate.

On the rocky shores were small pterosaurs and ichthyornis (seagulls with teeth) diving down into the water for fish. In the water were large mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, gliding under the glassy surface. Small scavengers patrolled the shoreline, looking for scraps of fish or any dead animal. They even scavenged turtle nests for food.

The chicks were finally large enough to hunt, but they quickly joined the scavengers. The chicks lost their downy fuzz and were about five feet long and still under the watchful eye of Sue. Her leg had finally healed, but still ached once in awhile. Sue was also in her early 20’s, about two thirds of her life has past. Sue was still in her prime though, still feared by many dinosaurs. The chicks also were a force to be reckoned with. After Sue taught them to hunt, they learned to work together. They even brought down a pachycephalosaurus. A pack of Tyrannosaurs is definitely a thing to fear.

Sue watched her chicks from her spot in the sand, as they frolicked in the surf and try to snatch birds out of the air. Sue felt the cool sea air caressing her scaly skin. It was a truly peaceful moment. Then she heard the thud of feet behind her. Beyond the border of the beach and a sparse forest were a herd of Ornithomimus. These large ostrich-like dinosaurs were very common in Cretaceous America, but this herd always stayed in the area. Sue has ran them off many times in hope of killing one, but they manage to come back the next day. So Sue, using all her intellect, proposed a way to nab an Ornithomimus…



The Next Day…

The Ornithomimus grazed on patches of grass, lying near the beach. These graceful dinosaurs knew the danger that loomed in the area, but they were able to out run them easily. One Ornithomimus heard something in the bushes, but immediately went back to grazing. Then it heard the noise again, more alert now. Then came the snapping of branches, causing the Ornithomimus to alert the others. It honked an alert and caused the others to immediately search for the danger. Then they heard the same exact noises on the opposite side of them, making them confused.

Suddenly, without warning, two of Sue’s chicks blasted out of the bushes on both sides, scaring the herd into a stampede. The chicks ran along side the frenzied dinosaurs, making sure they stayed on their current path. After awhile, two more chicks came in and blocked off the Ornithomimuses from the side. Then two more trailed them from behind.

The Ornithomimus were being led toward a patch of trees. They thought they would be able to lose the ferocious chicks in the thick trees, but were baffled to see Sue waiting for them. As they ran pass, Sue was able to grab a dinosaur and crush it in her jaws. She also blocked the path of about three more dinosaurs. Two got away, but one was ambushed by the horde of chicks. The chicks scratched and bit at the doomed dinosaur, ripping off bloody chunks of flesh. The Ornithomimus tried to escape, but was overpowered by the chicks.

The chicks quickly started devouring the dinosaur. Sue swallowed her kill in one mighty gulp. As the chicks finished off the carcass, they quickly went back to exploring the shoreline, as Sue laid in the shade of the trees. As she laid there, she saw the herd of Ornithomimus still roaming the area. Sue finally had a strategy to catch the pesky dinosaurs.



Two Months Later…

As time went by, Sue and her chicks prospered. They traveled across prehistoric America and were feared by all. Predators that once hunted the chicks became hunted themselves. Sue’s leg did not hurt anymore and she was able to take down any animal that she came across. Sue’s chicks were impressive predators as well. They grew very fast, each one at least 8 feet long.

Two young males out grew the rest of the chicks by over two feet and they were the most dominant of the group.  The two males always fought with each other over scraps of food. The fights got so violent at times that Sue had to separate them. But they were preparing themselves for the harsh life they had to face once they left their protective mother. They would have to take down large prey and fight against other males, just like their mother.

Sue’s and her chicks traveled across vast plains and forests ‘til they eventually returned to their old territory. They even found the nest still intact and used by a family of Didelphodons, badger-like animals. As the chicks examined the nest, the mammals snapped and growled at the intruders. Sue saw herds of Triceratops and Edmontosaurs roaming across the plain, browsing for food.

Sue and her chicks kept traveling through the forest, spotting various dinosaurs in the underbrush. They spotted Ornithomimus moving amongst the bushes, Troodons scavenging for food, and small mammals fleeing into their burrows.

As Sue looked over the plains once more, she saw a Triceratops acting irritable. This old male was fighting off a rival male. Sue knew the outcome would be good, for her at least. She watched as the males snorted at each other, her chicks were also intrigued by the fight. The old male has fought many times before. His body, riddled with scars, told his triumphant victories. But this young rival looked like a challenge.

The rivals stared each other down for a good four minutes. Sue and her young watched eagerly. Not a moment to soon, the males charged at each other, locking horns. The males thrashed at each other, ‘til their horns were free again. The old male jabbed his horn into the rivals frill, his horn stained with blood. The rival retaliated by shoving his horn into the old males leg, making it harder for him to charge at the rival. His age finally caught up to him.

The young rival bored his horns into the old male once more, wounding him. The old male limped off, knowing he has been defeated. The young male took his rightful place as the herd leader. The male walked towards the forest to lay down. As he entered the forest, he saw Sue standing over him. He ignored her and walked on. As he laid down, Sue came up from behind and bit his neck. The Triceratops barely put up a struggle as Sue crushed his neck.

The old male laid lifeless as Sue dug her jaws deeper into the dead carcass. She was soon joined by the chicks. Sue took out a large chunk from the carcass, leaving room for her young to pick at the innards. The two young males fought over an intestine, snapping at each other. The other chicks devoured any little scrap, making sure to stay out of their mother’s way. After they had their fill, they decided to rest. Sue basked in the summer sun as the chicks laid in the shade, except for the two males.

The two males were still fighting over scraps from the carcass. Every little piece one found, the other one would fight for the piece. The males started to tug at the piece of meat. Then, one male went for the other’s neck. They started to bite and claw each other, trying to kill one another. This fuss kept the other chicks cautious. Sue watched as the two males fought one another, reminding her that she once watched her own siblings fight. Even Sue had to fight her own sisters for dominance.

The two males violently fought each other for as long as they could. They were bloody with scratches and bite marks. One male buckled down from weakness, while the other bit down on his neck. The chick squealed from the intense pain. But Sue stormed in, separating the two males. They made their way back to the rest of the chicks, knowing not to disobey their behemoth of a mother. Sue rallied the chicks together, getting ready to start traveling again.



2 Weeks Later…

Sue and her chicks have traveled many miles and came across a river. The river provided many animals with food and water. There were many different hadrosaurs frolicking within the river, while fish swam past their feet. Almost a dozen Ornithomimus was seen at once, running by the river’s edge. The chicks and Sue drank from the river. Some of the chicks even tried to catch some fish.

As the chicks fished, Sue watched the Ornithomimus. They behaved the same way as the ones by the beach did, always returning to the same area. Sue would use this routine to her advantage.



The Next Day…

The Ornithomimus grazed the grass, sensing no danger. Meanwhile, in the underbrush, the watchful eyes of the young hunters spied their prey. They positioned themselves for the attack, just like at the beach. The Ornithomimus were not aware of their presence, yet. The young hunters crept slowly until they got into the right position. Then, in a blink of an eye, they ambushed the Ornithomimus. The ostrich-like dinosaurs squawked and panicked as they ran for their lives. From out of nowhere came two more chicks, chasing down the dinosaurs. Now the Ornithomimus were being pursued by six ferocious hunters.

As they were coming around the bend, Sue lunged from the trees. She was not able to grab any, so she ran after them. She ran as fast as she could, saliva dripping from her jaws as she caught up to the herd. She was preoccupied, she didn’t see the branch sticking out of the ground…

She was about to bite down on one unfortunate dinosaur, when her world went tumbling all around her. As she tripped, she felt a sharp, burning pain on her side. The world stopped moving, leaving Sue lying in the dust. She watched the herd runoff into the distance. Sue tried to get up, but the pain was intense. This was 100 times worse than her leg injury. She had broken seven ribs at once. She finally managed to get up walk away. Her chicks knew she was in pain and needed her space, a wounded rex is an angry rex.

Sue lied down in the shade, her once favorite thing to do became agonizingly painful. An injury might take weeks, even months to heal and hunting would be more difficult. But Sue’s chicks were old and strong enough to support themselves and even Sue.

In the next few weeks, Sue’s chicks gathered food for their healing mother. Sue did heal over the weeks, but she was under nourished. The chicks was not able to gather enough food for their mother. Sue’s immune system wasn’t as well as it should. She coughed up blood once in a while and could barely keep her food down. She knew there was something wrong with her. Being sick was not her worst problem though. She would have a hard time protecting her chicks from large predators like deinosuchus, or even another Tyrannosaur.

Sue’s chicks grew stronger though. Each one was about five and a half feet tall and eleven feet long. They were barely chicks anymore, able to bring down most animals. They still had a pack strategy, which they will abandon once they get more territorial. But they were still no match for an adult Tyrannosaur.

One day, Sue and her chicks were drinking from the river. Sue was able to hunt down her food, but she was still weak. Suddenly, in a panic, the animals headed for cover towards the woods. Sue was puzzled by the panicking herbivores, but then she heard a loud trumpeting noise. A noise that was eerily familiar. She saw a large Tyrannosaur enter the clearing. It was an old male, with bite marks on his snout. This was the father of Sue’s chicks. He was searching for food, unknowingly entering Sue’s territory. He spotted one of Sue’s chicks. They locked eyes, the male came charging towards the chick, ready to devour the morsel.

As the male came closer, Sue rushed in with all her might. She blocked the large male, allowing the chick to run off into the forest with it’s siblings. Sue was left alone with the ferocious male. They both growled and snarled at each other, trying to intimidate one another. Tyrants of the Cretaceous locked in a stare down, each waiting for the other to make a move. When a pair of Triceratops duke it out, it was epic. But seeing two large Tyrannosaurs fight is a force of nature.

Sue rushed towards the male, driven by her devotion to her chicks. The male reacted by rushing in as well, driven by his ravenous hunger. They finally met with a violent impact, breaking teeth in the process. Sue tried to catch hold of the male’s neck, but the male swung his head like a bat and bashed Sue on the side of the head. Sue was dizzy from the impact of the male’s massive skull. But Sue came two and grabbed on to the male’s puny arm. She bit down and pulled on the arm, popping it from it’s socket. The male cried a howl of pain.

The male twisted around, knocking Sue with his tail. As Sue was knocked over, the male grabbed her by the neck, ready to squeeze the life from her. As Sue panicked in the jaws of the male, she heard a squeal coming from the side. The squeal came from her largest male chick, running towards the fight. She saw the chick bite down hard onto the male’s Achilles tendon. The pain was enough to distract the male and release Sue from his jaws. But now, the male had his eyes set on the chick.

The chick was frozen in fear as the male stomped over towards it. He looked down at the chick as it growled at him. When the male was getting ready to take a bite, he was pushed into the forest by Sue. They fell over a slope, disappearing in the thick trees. The chicks rushed to the edge of the forest, too scared to enter and get caught in the fight. They tried to catch a glimpse, trying to see what happened to their mother….
  
Sue and the male tumbled down the slope, becoming more and more disoriented. Sue landed with a thump as the male rolled over her. She was dizzy, almost too dizzy to stand up. She could feel the Earth shake as the male walked over to see if she was dead. She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck, as the male prepared to suffocate her. But Sue suddenly rose her head so fast that she knocked out some of the male’s teeth. The male was momentarily disorientated. This gave Sue enough time to bite down on his neck.

The male struggled as Sue’s grip became tighter. He roared and screeched in pain. She had a hard time holding onto the male. She then remembered the Edmontosaurus from many months ago. She remembered it gave a fight as well. As Sue dug into the male’s neck, his vision became worse. His world got darker, darker, gone…

Sue finally let go of the male’s neck, making a large thud. She looked down at the male, and took a bite out of the male. She was the queen of the Cretaceous and the male had to learn that lesson the hard way. Sue made her way back up the slope, feeling very groggy and tired.

The chicks waited for their mother to come back. As her head penetrated the trees, they screeched and bellowed. There screeching came to an end when Sue coughed up a large piece of meat. She gargled and gagged on the digested meat. The chicks knew something was wrong.

Sue walked towards the river for a drink, as she came in and out of reality. She was barely able to stand on her feet. She finally collapsed into the river, fading from consciousness. Sue’s health taken a turn for the worse, as her flu took it’s toll on her. She was unable to get up, she just laid in the river, drowning. She fell asleep…

Her chicks circled as the water and silt rushed over their mother. They knew she wouldn’t make it. The young Tyrannosaurs felt grief and woe, but they knew they had to move on. Eventually, they will forget their family ties, especially the males. But for now, they had each other to rely on. They were the future kings and queens of the Cretaceous. But they owed their hunting experience to their mother, Sue.


65 Million Years Later…

It was Summer of 1990 in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. A team from the Black Hills Institute were excavating fossils. One find was of an Edmontosaurus with holes in the neck, as if it came from a bite. One team member was Sue Hendrickson, a well respected paleontologist. As the team prepared to leave, their truck blew a tire. As the team repaired the tire, Sue went to explore the cliffs. As Sue walked the base of the cliff, she discovered bones on the ground. Eight feet above her were even more bones. Sue knew immediately knew she made a big discovery.

In the next few months, The team excavated the skeleton and knew right away it was a Tyrannosaurus. The amazing skeleton was over 90% complete and was definitely the largest T Rex ever found. They named the skeleton “Sue” after Sue Hendrickson.

For the first time in millions of years, the Rex rose to her feet, as she towered over the visitors of the Field Museum of Natural History. People was amazed by the pure majesty of this amazing find. Her skeleton only told a small fragment of her story. If they only knew the perils she had to deal with in her lifetime. The highs and lows of parenting, the pure thrill of the hunt, the danger of putting her life on the line everyday. If they only knew the saga of Sue…