L4567: ‘Going Concern’ by Hedge-sparrow
Posted by Encota on 30 Aug 2019
Another neat puzzle from Hedge-sparrow. This is my rough version.
Of the extinct creatures I could find HUIA, BAIJI, AUROCHS and QUAGGA evenly spaced around the grid. The means of determining which letters were involved made for an unambiguous and quick endgame – which I think makes a change from some recent puzzles. No requirement for Highlighting, too 🙂
Were the four extinct creatures purposely picked to be of lengths 4, 5, 6 & 7 to match the Puzzle number (or vice versa)? I am assuming Yes. At least I do hope so!!
Instead of the unchecked letters in the eight endangered ones I knew [really? Ed.] Hedge-sparrow would be hiding something in the checked letters. These turned out to be the LOWER CASE letters left in the following:
kaKApO sAOlA FOssa AXolOtl KAtIpO saigA bOnObO rHiNo
So I went for, as Hedge-sparrow did, a range of rarer species. Jumbling these other letters together, and the result? “Becoming ever rarer in our towns & countryside, forests, plains, oceans and mountains: BATS, POLLS, OKAPI, LINGS … and T-BARS”.
It was all going so well but I definitely went downhill after the last one.
Cheers,
Tim / Encota
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