📘 Part 3: Wild animals

This episode's vocabulary

Biodiversity (noun) – the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat. → The Amazon rainforest is known for its incredible biodiversity.

Genetic variation (noun) – differences in DNA among individuals of a species. → Genetic variation helps species adapt to changing environments.

Disease prevention (noun) – the act of stopping illnesses before they occur. → Vaccination is an important part of disease prevention.

Umbrella species (noun) – a species whose protection indirectly protects many others sharing its habitat. → The tiger is considered an umbrella species in many conservation programs.

Knock-on effect (noun) – an indirect result of an action or event. → The new law had a knock-on effect on the housing market.

Go hand-in-hand (idiom) – to be closely connected or related. → Innovation and risk-taking go hand-in-hand in business.

Safeguard (verb) – to protect something from harm or damage. → The new regulations aim to safeguard endangered species.

Biosphere (noun) – the part of Earth where life exists, including land, sea, and atmosphere. → The biosphere is essential for maintaining life on our planet.

Endangered (adjective) – at serious risk of extinction. → Pandas are one of the most famous endangered animals in the world.

Inhumane (adjective) – cruel or showing a lack of compassion. → Keeping animals in tiny cages is considered inhumane.

Enclosure (noun) – an area surrounded by a fence or wall, especially for animals. → The lions were resting in their enclosure.

At large (phrase) – in general; as a whole. → These environmental issues affect society at large.

Untapped (adjective) – not yet used or exploited. → The rainforest contains many untapped medicinal resources.

Yield (verb) – to produce or provide something, such as results or resources. → The forest yields valuable timber and medicinal plants.

Horrendous (adjective) – extremely unpleasant or terrible. → The oil spill caused horrendous damage to marine life.

Habitat destruction (noun) – the process by which a natural habitat becomes unable to support the species living there. → Habitat destruction is one of the main causes of species extinction.

Conservationist (noun) – a person who works to protect the environment and wildlife. → The conservationist spent years studying elephants in Africa.

Captive breeding (noun) – the process of breeding animals in controlled environments like zoos. → Captive breeding programs have helped increase panda populations.

Sustainable (adjective) – able to be maintained without harming the environment. → Sustainable farming protects both people and nature.

Extinction (noun) – the state of a species no longer existing. → Human activity has pushed many species to the brink of extinction.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Why should people protect wild animals?

Rory: Oh, all kinds of reasons. All species contribute to the planet's biodiversity, which is useful for things like genetic variation and disease control, and prevention. There are also things called umbrella species, which means that in the course of protecting them, we protect the animals that share their habitats too. So the knock-on effects of preserving them are really worth promoting.

Maria: Is it more important to protect wild animals or the environment?

Rory: I think they go hand-in-hand, kind of, don't they? You can't really have animals without an environment, but at the same time, what's the point in preserving a habitat devoid of all animal life? If you've got to pick one, though, I suppose it's better to safeguard the environment, since that would benefit human beings more directly.

Maria: Should people educate children to protect wild animals?

Rory: Well, I think they already do, and it makes sense, however you look at it. Logically, we need animals to support the biosphere, and looking after them ensures that we will benefit from that. But also morally, I think if we're nicer to animals, or as nice as we can be, then I think that contributes to a more moral, caring society.

Maria: Why do some people attach more importance to protecting rare animals?

Rory: Well, they could be, and I think they frequently are, umbrella species, like I mentioned before, but their rarity is also part of their symbolism, so by investing in their care, we invest more in the value of the animals for us, although maybe that's a bit esoteric. More relatably, if an animal is endangered, there's a greater sense of urgency in keeping them safe, so the logical option seems to be investing more effort in looking after them.

Maria: Do you think it's important to take children to the zoo to see animals?

Rory: No, absolutely not. In fact, I'm dead set against zoos. The treatment of animals in zoos is inhumane and unnatural. You learn nothing from keeping them in enclosures and cages. Well, nothing other than the high regard human beings have for themselves, and being able to cage the poor things up for display purposes. There's nothing worthwhile about them; it's a money thing, pure and simple.

Maria: Why are some people more willing to protect wild animals than others?

Rory: Ah, well, there's great value in keeping animals in their natural state. We already talked about the relationship between animals and the biosphere and the environment at large. So, protecting animals preserves the natural beauty of these places, as well as the natural balance that allows them to yield things like oxygen for the planet and medicines, if we're talking about trees at least. And then there are the untapped genetic resources that such places might yield. If they are wiped out, then we might lose that, and then you suffer horrendous consequences as a result. So people who promote this idea are perhaps more aware of that compared to other people.

Discussion

Maria: How are you, dear listener? Are you okay?

Rory: Are you ready to rise up and destroy the zoos?

Maria: So you don’t like zoos, do you?

Rory: I hate zoos. We’ve talked about this before.

Maria: What about circuses?

Rory: Nope. Absolutely not. Not if they use animals.

Maria: But animals are used in the manufacturing of shampoos, cosmetics, and different creams.

Rory: Yes. That’s absolutely wrong. I think they should be using human beings for this.

Maria: Oh, ok. I see. Yeah, you see, dear listener? Our Rory cares for animals and doesn’t like zoos and circuses… So, protect wild animals, species or kinds of animals, species or species, contribute to the planet's biodiversity. Biodiversity means the number and types of plants, animals that exist in our world. And when we protect animals, we protect their habitats. Habitats are where animals live. So, we live in flats, houses, animals live in their natural environment. C1, a band 8 word, so a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat, right? So, lots of animals are losing their habitats. And if we don't protect wild animals, this will have the knock-on effects on the environment, on people…

Rory: Knock-on effects are just consequences, things that happen as a result of something.

Maria: Protecting animals and protecting the environment go hand in hand. So, when you protect animals, you protect their habitats, so you protect the environment. So, they go together, you cannot separate them. So, we can't have animals without an environment, without their natural habitat, without forests, without rivers, oceans. And if we pick one, if I had to pick one, the environment or animals, I suppose it's better to safeguard the environment. Safeguard means to save. Here, Rory uses a synonym, not to repeat the examiner's question, like to save or safeguard, to protect something. Safeguard the environment.

Rory: To keep it from harm.

Maria: Children should be educated how to protect wild animals. And wild animals we mean like not pets, okay, like not sheep, cows that are close to people, but like animals who live in the wild. Capybaras, tigers, lions, crocodiles. We need animals to support the biosphere. It's another one. So, we have biodiversity. Animals are part of our biodiversity and they are part of our biosphere, or pretty much like a part of a planet's environment where life exists. So, the biosphere, everywhere where life exists. And you can say that, well, wild animals are part of our life and biosphere, so we have to protect them.

Rory: Yes, otherwise we will also die.

Maria: And teaching children how to protect animals contributes to a more moral, caring society.

Rory: Well, it might.

Maria: So, caring means giving emotional support to others. If we just teach everyone how to take care of somebody, animals, or people, we will live in a better world. We have rare animals and some people think that it's better to protect rare animals than other animals. For example, Amur leopard is a rare animal, or black rhino, there you go, Sumatran tiger, red wolf, red wolf, nice, around 300 individuals, what? It's crazy. Yeah, so they are critically endangered species, so very rare, red wolves. Giant pandas, are they rare?

Rory: They're probably rarer than a lot of other animals.

Maria: Yeah, okay, so the giant panda is among the world's most threatened animals. Rarity.

Rory: That's just the concept of being rare.

Maria: And if an animal is endangered, there is a greater sense of urgency. So, urgency, like, yeah, we need to take care of endangered species urgently, so it's more important. It needs attention immediately. Keep them safe or protect, so keep them safe is a nice synonym, and invest more effort in looking after them. So, look after animals, take care of animals, keeping them safe, protect them. So, we should invest more effort in looking after rare species or species. And then Rory gets all emotional about the zoos. So, he says, like, absolutely not.

Rory: Absolutely not.

Maria: And Rory says, like, I'm dead set against zoos. Like, no, this is unnatural, inhumane. So, this is just not right, according to Rory. If you disagree with Rory, it's okay.

Rory: It's okay to be wrong.

Maria: If you agree, good.

Rory: And if you agree, it's going to be right.

Maria: Inhumane means cruel, causing suffering to people and animals. So, keeping animals in zoos is inhumane. Keep animals in enclosures. So, when animals are kept not in the wild, they are kept in enclosures. It's one word, an area surrounded by fences or walls, like an enclosure for the horses. Enclosure. Enclosure, one word. Or in cages, right? So, keeping animals in cages is inhumane. And also, you can say that it's horrible to cage animals. A cage and to cage is a verb. It's horrible to cage animals for display purposes.

Rory: But that just means to show them to people.

Maria: Protecting animals preserves the natural beauty of our biosphere, of our environment. Preserves, like, keeps, maintains the natural beauty. And preserving animals maintains the natural balance, balance in nature. And then Rory says something about untapped genetic resources. I don't understand this, Rory. It's beyond me. It's science, you know. What?

Rory: Well, genetic resources would just be the genes of different, or the DNA of different species that we haven't discovered yet. And they might contribute to potential cures for things. Because we still don't know about several species that live in the rainforest, for example. And so, if the rainforest is destroyed, we cannot use those resources, because they will not exist anymore. And they will be untapped. And they're untapped now, because nobody knows how to use them or where to find them. So, untapped just means not used, or not controlled.

Maria: Dear listener, how are you doing? Are you okay? Right. I'm reading already about the giant panda. What about you? Now you know that the red wolf is super endangered. 300 red wolves in the world. Rory, if you were an animal, a wild animal, who would you be? A capybara?

Rory: I'd be a capybara. We've talked about this. We have an episode on wild animals, but it's part one.

Maria: I'd be a snow leopard. They're also pretty endangered.

Rory: You would. I remember you saying that last time as well.

Maria: Yeah, I love snow leopards. They're awesome. So fluffy. These giant cats. Ooh. Thank you very much for listening, dear listener. We are sending you love, and joy, and health, and hugs. Okay? Bye. Stay with us, okay?

Rory: Bye.

Maria: Bye.

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