The Last Thirty Oryx

almost hunter natural rare survive wildlife zoo (twice)

By the 1970s, … had killed … all the Arabian oryx. The WWF helped to capture the last thirty … oryx and send them to Phoenix … in Arizona, where a herd of these … animals has been built up. Other … and … parks have helped, and the oryx has been introduced into its … surroundings in Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The Last Thousand Polar Bear

Arctic alive fewer hunting increase live successfully

Thirty years ago … than 1,000 polar bears were left … in the wild in Norway, Greenland and the USSR. WWF persuaded the five … nations of Canada, the USA, Denmark (Greenland), the USSR and Norway, to agree to control … and promote scientific study. Now the «ice bears» are … and breeding … once again, and those 1,000 bears have … their numbers to about 5,000.

The Seas Must Live

chemical death fur hunt in danger nuclear poison whale campaign

In 1976 the WWF launched its biggest international …, «The Seas Must Live». The seas are polluted by … pesticides, … waste and other … .

… are being hunted to extinction. Turtles are killed for their meat, shell and oil, crocodiles to make handbags and shoes, walruses for their ivory. Seals are beaten to … to provide … coats. Many species of these animals are … of dying out. The WWF is working to provide sea sanctuaries where whales, dolphins and seals cannot be ….

The Tropical Forests

dam destroy encourage flood in danger international medicine protect supply

Tropical forests have … us with very many sorts of plants for food, … and industry. They could probably supply many more. They also reduce … and droughts, keep water clean, and slow down the Greenhouse Effect. But the tropical forests are being … to make room for things like farms, ranches, mines and hydroelectric …. About 20 million hectares are lost each year – an area more than twice the size of Austria. WWF is working to … and save the forests that are …; to plant new trees for fuel wood and to slow down the Greenhouse Effect; and to … governments to think about the forests and their importance when giving … aid.

(information supplied by WWF)

3.3. Find out your partner’s opinion on the following issues:

– hunting animals for sport / for their fur / for food;

– poaching;

– overcollecting?

Other people-related problems that put plant and animal species at risk include habitat destruction, introduction of exotic species, overexploitation, pollution and others. Work in pairs. Each pair of students should concentrate on a different passage. Find out about your partners’ passage. Use the expressions of giving and asking for clarification (see back of book).

A. Rapid habitat destruction is the main reason species become endangered. Natural changes usually occur at a slow rate, so the effects on individual species are usually slight, at least over the short term. When the rate of change increases greatly, there may be no time for individual species to adapt to new conditions. The results can be disastrous. This increase in the rate of habitat destruction is directly linked to the rise in human population. As more people use more space – for homes, farms, shopping centers, and so on – there is less living space for species that cannot adapt to changing conditions. People also affect plant and animal habitats when they take wood, oil, and other products from the land.

B. Introduction of exotic species. Another problem that harms wildlife is foreign species that are deliberately or accidentally introduced into new habitats by human activities. Sometimes an introduced species causes no obvious harm, but in other cases the introduced species causes serious problems. The worst of these problems is when introduced species begin to prey on native species and cause them harm.

C. Overexploitation is one more reason species become endangered. One example of this is the case of the great whales, many of which were reduced to extremely low populations in the mid-20^th century because of unrestricted whaling. In 1982, a number of countries agreed to ban commercial whaling. As a result, some whale species that were formerly endangered have made great comebacks. Many other species, however, are still at risk. Some other animal species experience high rates of exploitation because of the trade in animal parts. Currently, this trade is centered in several parts of Asia where there are strong markets for traditional medicines made from items such as tiger bone and rhino horn.

D. Pollution. Over many years, hundreds of pesticides and other chemicals have run into rivers and accumulated in the soil. This threatens the animal species that feed on plants and other animals. Equally dangerous are the «ghost» nets – discarded or lost fishing nets – that drift in the oceans, trapping and killing fish, seabirds, seals, dolphins, and turtles. Furthermore, industrial gases trapped in the atmosphere pollute the air and cause global warming, changing the environments of species.