Kobae is Absent

On Tuesday's return from hiking Kobae ate and then went down in his house. Tom closed the gate right as he went in. Tom left the gate open for a little while Wednesday evening expecting him to come out. Tom swept the gate area so that in case he missed when Kobae came out he would be able to follow the footprints if he didn't come to the porch and went straight to hiking. After a few hours Tom went over to the gate and their were no footprints and he locked it up again. It's not the first time Kobae has taken a day off and never showed himself but it is rare. Tom walks the fence perimeter and can't find any sign that Kobae may have escaped. Then he walks the perimeter of Base Camp checking choke points where Kobae would have to walk through sand to leave the property and finds only old footprints. When hiking with Kobae Tom always walks inside Kobae's footprints so that should Kobae ever turn up missing Tom will be able to easier tell they are old footprints. Tom finds one set of Kobae prints where his footprints aren't inside Kobae's and follows. In time Tom determines they are old prints. Dead vegetation has fallen in Kobae's old prints and some plants that should be crushed from Kobae's weight have recovered. In time Tom finds his prints inside Kobae's.