Несвіт, reading I term

Endangered animals

There are many endangered animals in this world. The first and foremost is the tiger.

According to conservationists the number of tigers all over the world is declining at an alarming rate. The main reason for this is poaching*. Chinese traditional medicine has thrown up a huge market for poachers of the tiger. But if the tiger becomes extinct*, the entire food chain will be thrown into disarray*.

Other animals which are facing extinction owing to various factors like poaching and loss of habitat include the giant panda, the snow leopard, the white rhinoceros and the komodo dragon, tapirs*, the leopard, African wild ass*, gazelles, etc. Leopards as well as tigers are affected by the loss of habitat when forests are used for human activities.

Wild asses are threatened by interbreeding* with other species. Gazelles are poached for their skin and horns. Endangered animals need to be protected to preserve the bio-diversity* of our planet.

*

poaching – браконьєрство

extinct – вимерлий, щезлий

thrown into disarray – введений в безлад

tapir – тапір (тварина)

ass - осел

interbreeding - схрещування

bio-diversity - біорізноманіття