NEWS · B2 Level - Part 1

Is World's Tallest Animal In Danger

The world's tallest animal may soon be added to the endangered and threatened species list. Giraffe populations are in fast decline, according to the U.S.

Level: B2 · 12 sentences

Transcript

  1. The world's tallest animal may soon be added to the endangered and threatened species list.
  2. Giraffe populations are in fast decline, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  3. How did this happen?
  4. Well, US Wildlife officials say it could be because of habitat loss, urbanization, increasing droughts,
  5. as well as poaching - hunters killing them for their body parts.
  6. Since 1985, the populations of three subspecies of northern giraffes
  7. have decreased from almost 26,000 to just under 6,000 today.
  8. That's a 77% decline in the last 39 years.
  9. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing many giraffe species as endangered or threatened,
  10. which would help put additional protections in place for them under the Endangered Species Act.
  11. If the proposal is approved,
  12. it would be the first time ever that giraffes would receive those types of federal protections.