5 Saving the tiger

1 a Write a list of all the wild animals you know in English. Which do you think are endangered?

b Before you read, check these words/phrases with your teacher or in a dictionary.

a tiger reserve poaching destruction of habitats logging a plantation anti-poaching laws protection

2 a Cover the article. Then try to guess the correct number, word or phrase in these sentences.
1 A hundred years ago there were about 1 million/100,000/10,000 tigers in the wild.
2 Now there are about 100,000/10,000/3,000 tigers in the wild.
3 About 40%/60%/90% of tiger habitat was lost in the 20th century.
4 The number of tigers in India is rising slowly/falling slowly/falling fast.

b Read the article. Check your answers.

Wildlife Diary: Day 47

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, India
I’m in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, one of the best Without them, the tiger will
known of India’s 39 tiger reserves. I’m hoping to see one of certainly become extinct.
these amazing animals during my visit, but it’s not going to At the International Tiger
be easy. It’s over 600km2, and there are only around 50 tigers Forum in 2010, leaders from

ExTRA READING:
in the reserve. But it might be my last chance to see a tiger the 13 countries with wild

in the wild because they are dangerously close to becoming
extinct.
A hundred years ago, there were around 100,000 tigers
around the world, but experts believe there are only around
3,200 of these magnificent animals left. There are two main
reasons for this fall in numbers: poaching and destruction of
their habitats. Poaching is less of a problem than it was, but
it still continues today.
Habitat destruction is less direct than poaching, but its
effects are even more dramatic. Tigers have lost more
than 90% of their habitat since the beginning of the 20th
century, and the destruction continues today. In places like
Indonesia, Malaysia and Africa, big logging companies cut
down the forests and sell the wood. Then they use the land
for soya, sugar cane, coffee or palm oil plantations. That’s
why reserves such as the Tadoba-Andhari are so important.
photocopiable
tigers agreed to take action to
protect their tigers. They aim
to double the number of wild
tigers over the next ten years through a combination of new
tiger reserves, anti-poaching laws and protection of tiger
habitats. For example, in Russia, they have promised to stop
logging in the tigers’ habitat. In Malaysia, new laws mean
that poachers will go to prison for many years, and India is
planning to create at least eight new tiger reserves.
Positive actions like these should make a lot of difference to
tiger populations. In fact, the latest figures from India show
that the number of tigers here has increased from 1,400 in
2007 to over 1,700 now. So at last, the future for tigers is
looking brighter. Maybe if I don’t see any tigers this week,
I’ll just come back in ten years, when there might be tigers
everywhere.

3 Read the article again. Answer these questions.

1 Why is it difficult for the writer to see a tiger in the Tadoba-Andhari reserve?
2 Why do big logging companies cut down the forests?
3 What do the members of the International Tiger Forum want to happen in the next ten years?
4 Which country wants to focus on stopping poaching?
5 Is the writer generally positive or negative about the future for tigers? Why?

4 Do you think that tigers have a positive future? Why?/Why not?

already some good news.
number of wild tigers. 4 Malaysia 5 Positive, because the writer thinks these actions should make a lot of difference and there is
they want to sell the wood. Then they use the land for soya, sugar cane, coffee or palm oil plantations. 3 They want to double the
2 a 1 100,000 2  3,000 3  90% 4  rising slowly 3 1 Because it’s a very large area and there are only 50 tigers there. 2  Because

Instructions p211 © Cambridge University Press 2012 face2face Second edition Pre-intermediate Photocopiable 219