Endangered species, any species that is at risk of extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its critical habitat. About 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activities. Because of the highest habitat loss, for example, Black rhinos have decreased from 70,000 in the 1960s to 2,410 in 1995. They have been declared extinct in West Africa in 2011. Hunters kill rhinos, then cut their horns for sale to China and Vietnam for usage as an ingredient in medicine. There are less than 5,000 of them left alive in Africa.

The largest animal ever to have lived on our planet, the blue whale has been a protected species since 1966, but thousands were killed up until then. During the whaling season of 1930 to 1931 alone, 30,000 blue whales were killed by Antarctic whalers. It will take more than one hundred years of protection before we can be sure that it will not become extinct.

During the nineteenth century Californian Condor, this large bird of prey, started to decline last century in North America when it was killed by gold diggers who collected its long black feathers. They have since been reintroduced to the wild with some success, but they are still at great risk.

Thus, the human beings are the greatest threat to biodiversity. The principal threats to species in the wild are: habitat loss and habitat degradation, the growing influence of global warming and chemical pollution, unsustainable hunting, disease of introduced species. The most common of these threats is habitat loss due to growing demand for commercial agriculture, logging, and infrastructure development. However, monitoring, protection and anti-poaching measures are undertaken to protect these extremely endangered species. But it isn’t enough! Time is running out for Endangered Animals of the World. Let’s act more now to ensure that these amazing creatures survives!

Read the text and decide if the sentences are (T) true, (F) false or (DS) doesn’t say

1. Endangered means to be under threat or near extinction

2. Hunters kill rhinos for sale to countries like China and Vietnam for usage of their skin as an ingredient in medicine.

3. Global warming has emerged as a widespread threat.

4. Since 1966 thousands of the blue whales has been killed.

5. Habitat loss and species loss have resulted from the unregulated usage of mineral resources.

6. In the 19th century, the long black feathers of Californian Condor were collected in North America

7. Habitat loss and habitat degradation is reducing the animal’s food resources​