EY Y04 L30 Endangered Species

  1. There are many endangered animal species in the world. Name one. Which part of the world is this animal native to? How did it become threatened?
  2. Tell us 3 facts about this animal.
  3. Is the extinction of species something that worries you? Why?
  4. Tell us about a success story where a species has been successfully re-introduced into the wild, saved from extinction by a zoo or reserve or is being brought back to life by progress with DNA.
  5. Does the country where you live have a dark history of allowing species to go extinct?
  6. Do you think humans will ever become an endangered species? Why?

Question 1

Almost all species of sea turtles are endangered. Sea turtles live and travel in most ocean waters besides the Arctic and Antarctic and nest on tropical and sub-tropical beaches. They became threatened and endangered throughout the years because of poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, being caught in fishing gear, and climate change.

Question 2

Three facts about sea turtles- About 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survive into adulthood. Their sex depends upon the temperature in the nest. They don't have a favorite food. They generally eat jellyfish, seagrass, crustaceans, or sea sponges.

Question 3

I am very much concerned about the sea turtles because they have been here for millions of years, only to become threatened in recent times due to human activities. I've always loved all kinds of turtles and tortoises, so to lose any of them would be terrible.

Question 4

The Bellinger River Snapping Turtle was facing extinction in 2015 when a new disease killed around 90% of them. They were unique to one specific river in Australia, so the situation was dire. A team from the Taronga Zoo rescued 16 turtles and started a breeding program to save the population. They are slowly being reintroduced back into the river.

Question 5

The Japanese sea lion is a very unfortunate case. They were hunted to extinction in the early 1900s and were declared officially extinct in the 1970s. Their meat was not tasty, so they were hunted for the oil in their skin, leather, and medicine.

Question 6

It's always a possibility because we don't know what the future will bring for us. Humans could be wiped out by famine, plague, or even an asteroid. All we can do now is try our best to take care of ourselves and the world we live in.

Tough Vocabulary