Speaking Part 1: Wildlife 

We humans have a tendency to think only about ourselves. When faced with dogma on whether we should do something for our profits or should we do the right, we often take the profitable path. And with choosing the fruitful path we have sacrificed a lot. One of them is our wildlife. This time let us have a look at some of the questions on wildlife.

Do you think people should protect wildlife?

Definitely yes, protecting wildlife is not just about our responsibility but also about ensuring life is good for us. We are living on a planet where any imbalance affects the entire living beings. So, disparity in the nature ultimately impacts us. The food chain gets disturbed and our existence comes into question. What most people do not understand is that we exist because of wildlife and harming it, in turns harms us as well.

Why are animals important to us?

I am not an animal lover but the reason I think they are important is because they help in maintaining balance in life. So, if their no more lions there will be lot of deer and that will in turn imbalance the food chain. We being the highest at it will surely have to face the consequence. Apart from wild animals, the pets do help us psychologically.

Can you list a few items that are made from animals?

Well, there are so many. All the leather items are made from the skin of animals, bags or belts or sometimes even clothes. There are even jackets and winter wear made from the fur of the animals. Surprisingly, nail polishes and perfumes are also made from some parts of animals.

Is there any justification for continuing to keep animals in captivity?

I’m not sure. Zoos became unpopular because animals were being kept in cages that were just much too small. But children love seeing real animals – it helps with their education. Yeah, looking ahead, I can see a future for zoos. Also, certain species only survive if we protect them. I’d say there’s a reasonable chance that zoos and similar places will carry on although the word “zoo” will be completely replaced by some others like National Nature Reserve or Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Topic: Describe a wild animal

You should say:

– What is the animal

– What are the special characteristics of that animals

– What is its habitat

A/ To be quite honest, in general, I would say that I am actually quite keen on wild animals, especially the enormous ones that survive well in the savage life. Talking of large animals, elephants are usually the one that comes across many people’s mind, but in actual fact, they are small when compared to the largest animal in the world, the Blue Whale. Baby Blue whales are big, even in the early days of their life cycle. At birth, they are about 7 meters long and weigh 2 tons. In order to nurture that huge body, they assume up to 200 liters of milk every day and averagely they grow 80 kilograms more every passing day. In fact, they grow so quickly that I feel as if I could hear them grow. The young whales stay with their mother until they are a year old. During that time, the young whales learn to survive in the ocean. The mother whales teach their calves how to hunt and fight off enemies. When young whales become adults, they are about 35 meters long and weigh approximately up to 130 tons. Adult blue whales can absorb an incredibly enormous amount of food which is about 4000 kilograms per day. Nowadays, blue whales are currently considered as an endangered species and I always think that it’s time for the world to raise its responsibility towards wildlife conservation.

B/ When I was a little girl, we went to the local zoo as part of our school expedition. We spent most of the day there and saw many different animals, and we learned a lot about them for the class project we were doing.

My favorite animal was the tiger, so I'll talk about that - it was in a large cage, which was full of enormous rocks and some large trees too. It was bigger than I thought it would be. I'd seen plenty of tigers on TV, in movies and TV programs, but it seemed a lot bigger in real life.

It was really like watching a big cat, the way it moved around. The fur colors were amazing - the yellow, white and black stripes on its body were spectacular. As I was watching, it jumped up and started climbing up one of the big rocks. When it reached the top it slowly turned around and then looked down at everything, moving its head from side to side, like it was observing everything going on around it. I felt very excited because I thought it was looking at me, it was really amazing!

This large wild animal is getting extinct over time and they have become numbered in the world. Approximately only 3500 tigers are present in the world and the number is decreasing. 

In my opinion, since the human is superior to any other living species, we have a responsibility to prevent the extinction of the tiger as we are the primary reason for their extinction. Wild animals are part of the eco-system we live in and we have a natural responsibility to preserve a balanced eco-system for our own good.

Speaking Part 3: Wildlife

What impact do you think human actions have caused on wild life?

Human actions have disturbed the wild life. We have destroyed their home i.e. jungles and oceans. Not only this, in so many ways we have taken away from them their food. Like, extinction of one species does impacts the other which used to feed on it. Apart from this, human have so many times went on to kill animals for the sake of hunting. Our advancement in the field of science and technology, has led us to emit gases and cause pollution that has impacted the entire flora and fauna.

Is wildlife preservation a global or national issue?

Well, in the end, I think it’s an issue that will be handled on an international level. I mean, woodland, animals, even insects – they belong to all of us – they don’t recognize borders or cultural boundaries. If we don’t protect forests and other animal habitats now, we many well see a very steep decline in animal numbers in the future and more extinction. So we have to have a global plan, otherwise there’s every possibility that there will be catastrophic consequences. 

What future role do governments have to play in the preservation of their country’s wildlife?

As far as I can see, they must lead the way. I mean, ordinary people are interested to know whether they can do anything to help endangered species. You know, it seems like they want to play a role in that, so they give to charities and even do sponsored rums, and that raises awareness. But, in the end, it’s only governments who can actually enforce laws and prevent people from participating in activities that damage the environment. Without new laws, there’s very little chance of any real improvement in the foreseeable future. 

Do you think there should be laws to protect the welfare of pets and farm animals? (For example, laws against cruel treatment.) Why?/Why not?

Definitely, yes. If you think about it, animals are vulnerable, defenseless and completely under a man’s control / in a man’s charge. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that animals deserve to live their lives free from suffering and exploitation. People who disregard the wellbeing of animals should be brought to court and held accountable for violating animal rights.

How do people feel about the protection of wild animals?

For the most part, I’m sure people are well aware of the importance of protecting wild animals and endangered species. Particularly many youngsters nowadays are actively playing their part in wildlife conservation by participating in animal conservation volunteer programs in remote areas of the country and sharing stories of illegal wildlife trade on their social media in hope of raising overall animal welfare standards.

What do you think are some of the benefits to humans from protecting wild animals?

In my opinion, there are two main reasons to protect wild animals. One of them has to do with the protection of our ecosystem. Everything in the wild has evolved to work together to have a biosphere that sustains life. Yet, it is hard to know exactly what might happen to an ecosystem when even the smallest contributor to that ecosystem vanishes. Hence, wild animals, as a part of the ecosystem of the world need to be conserved and protected. Plus, a lot of medicines used to help cure various health conditions, such as heart diseases, disorders and other illnesses have been derived from the chemicals produced by animals. If wild animals are gone, it will be impossible for humans to study and learn from them.