08 Track 8

Review unit 4

Fluency Practice

Review Readings 7: Living on the Edge

Page 121

Living on the Edge

There has been increase in animal conservation efforts over the last 50 years, and human intervention has helped the population of many animal species to recover.

These six success stories show that while humans have often been instrumental in condemning a species to death, we are also able to bring species back from the brink of extinction.

Whales

During the past two centuries many species of whales have been commercially hunted, primarily for their meat and fat, which is used to produce oil. After commercial hunting was banned internationally, many whale populations began to recover.

For example, more than 1,700 blue whales can now be found off the Pacific coast of North America. Some 200,000 humpback whales were killed in southern seas alone in the 20th century, and an estimated 95% of its population wiped out, but they now number approximately 8,000.

Gray whales, fin whales, and bowhead whales have all seen an increase in their numbers. Not every country signed or complies with the treaty banning the hunting of whales, but the recovery of whale numbers have proven the effectiveness of the band.

However, the plight of the whales is not over, and while some species have healthy numbers, others remain vulnerable.

The Arabian Oryx

The Arabian Oryx once roamed the Arabian Peninsula, and was an animal highly evolved for the dry and punishing desert plains.

However, due to hunting for both food and sport, numbers rapidly declined in the last wild oryx was shot in 1972.

The species persisted only in captivity for a decade. One of the earliest, most successful captive breeding programs of its kind began at the Phoenix Zoo in 1962.

From just nine individuals over 200 Arabian oryx were bred. These were eventually sent to zoos around the world, and were bred in their respective zoos to form substantial herds.

The first group of oryx was released back into the wild in 1982 in Oman. For over two decades they were carefully monitored as their numbers increased. There are now over a thousand oryx living in the wild in Oman and Saudi Arabia.

In 2007, 100 oryx were released into protected areas in the United Arab Emirates, a first step to reintroducing another 500 oryx to the wild. It’s likely that, with more re-introduction programs currently taking place, this range will increase into other countries within the Arabian Peninsula.

The Otter

Over 30 years ago, otters in Britain were believed to be nearly extinct. They once lived all over the country, but by the 1970s only small remnants of once large populations were found.

Today, however, they can be found across the entire country, and number in the thousands. They recovery is the result of a successful band on a type of pesticide in the 1970s.

Improved water quality in rivers has made their watery habitat cleaner and healthier for the animals.

Otters were also placed on the government’s protected species list. Sadly, the biggest threat to others today is urbanization. Many otters risk their lives crossing busy roads to get from one river stream to the next, and then he ended up being hit by vehicles.

Conservationists have persuaded the government to build special titles in certain areas to help otters make the crossing.

The Golden Line Tamarin

The Golden line tamarin is a small monkey known for its vibrant golden fur and sociable nature. They are native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, and our national symbol for the country.

Thirty years ago, there were fewer than 200 of these tiny monkeys. Thanks to the National Zoo, others zoos, conservation organizations, and Brazil’s government, there are now about 1,600 living in the wild.

The primary threat to their survival has been habitat loss, and having their populations separated by urban and agricultural development. Now, about 1,500 golden line tamarins live in the wild, most in or around the Reserva Biologica de Poco das Antas in Rio de Janeiro.

Another 450 live in captivity worldwide. While the number of golden lions has increased, they will need to double their population to leave the list of endangered species.

The Gray Wolf

Until 1967, when they were listed as endangered, ruthless hunting by trophy hunters had killed most of the gray wolves in the lower 48 states of the United States.

There have been numerous efforts to increase the wolf population since the early 1980s, such as a program to reintroduce them to parks in the Rocky Mountains.

In fact, these efforts actually became too successful, and gray wolf population started to expand beyond the mountain areas and started to threaten livestock and farming areas.

In 2011, the gray wolf was no longer listed as endangered; this has allowed states to produce their populations and keep their numbers in check.

Their populations in some states are now controlled by hunting and trapping. Currently there are about 5,000 wolves in the lower 48 states of the U.S., plus at least 10,000 in Alaska.