📙 Part 2: Describe a wild animal that you want to learn more about

This episode's vocabulary

Capybara (noun) – a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America. → The capybara is known for its calm and friendly nature.

Unappealing (adjective) – not attractive or pleasant. → The dish looked unappealing, but it tasted great.

Disposition (noun) – a person’s or animal’s general attitude or mood. → The dog has a gentle and friendly disposition.

Wander around (phrasal verb) – to move about without a clear purpose or direction. → We spent the afternoon wandering around the old town.

Wildlife sanctuary (noun) – a protected area where animals live safely in their natural environment. → The elephants were rescued and brought to a wildlife sanctuary.

Au fait (adjective, formal) – having good knowledge of something. → She’s not really au fait with the latest technologies.

In the know (phrase) – having special or secret information about something. → Only a few people in the company were in the know about the merger.

Herbivore (noun) – an animal that eats only plants. → A cow is a classic example of a herbivore.

Carnivorous (adjective) – feeding on other animals. → Lions are carnivorous predators that hunt in groups.

Passing curiosity (phrase) – a temporary interest in something. → His interest in astronomy was just a passing curiosity.

Habitat (noun) – the natural environment of an animal or plant. → The panda’s natural habitat is the bamboo forest.

Ecosystem (noun) – a community of living organisms interacting with their environment. → Pollution can damage the entire ecosystem.

Endangered species (noun) – a type of animal or plant that is at risk of disappearing. → The tiger is one of the world’s most famous endangered species.

Conservation (noun) – the protection and preservation of nature and wildlife. → Conservation efforts have helped increase the number of sea turtles.

Captivity (noun) – the state of being kept in a confined place like a zoo or cage. → The lions seemed restless in captivity.

Questions and Answers

Maria: You should say what it is, when and where you saw it, why you want to learn more about it, and explain what you want to learn more about it.

Rory: Well, there are lots of animals I could afford to learn a bit more about. But the one that sticks out for me in particular is the capybara, which I suppose is best described as something like a big rat. It makes it sound a bit unappealing, but they're actually very friendly and quite cute. I think so. In fact, I think they might be my favourite animal. I realise the irony of that, given that I'm talking about an animal I don't know much about.

When it comes to when and where I've seen it, I think scarcely a day goes by that I don't see something about them or involving them on the internet. They're quite popular in memes, just for their general look and disposition. I have actually seen them in real life when I was younger, though, at a zoo or wildlife sanctuary in the English countryside. They were just wandering around freely, and that was really sweet.

With regards to why I'd like to learn more about them, I know I said they were my favourite animal, but I'm not exactly au fait with the ins and outs of the finer details of their lives and habits and things like that, though I could guess at them. I don't know anything for certain, and it's always better to be in the know about these things, even if it's just to, I don't know, clear them up in your mind or to talk about them casually, like now.

In terms of exactly what I want to learn, I think I should probably know a bit more about their diet. I don't actually know what they eat, although I assume they are herbivores. I think if they were carnivorous, then I doubt they'd be allowed near people. That could be pretty dangerous. I also don't know very much about how they live in the wild. You see them often in zoos, but I'm not sure that's an authentic representation of how they actually live. That being said, if I never find out any of this, I won't feel too hard done by. I mean, it's not like it's essential for my job or anything, it's just a passing curiosity.

Maria: And what about your friends? Would they like to learn more about this animal?

Rory: I don't know, I've never talked to them about it.