Giraffes

This week, giraffes were in the news. It just showed that making headlines isn't always a good thing.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• mammal - a type of animal that feeds milk to its young, usually with hair or fur covering most of its skin
• extinction - the state or situation that results when a plant or animal species has died out completely
• dramatic - sudden and extreme
• poaching - catching and/or killing animals illegally
• civil unrest - a situation in which groups of people in a country fight one another
• declining numbers - fewer in total
• crop fields - fields on which farmers grow plants

Before you watch the video

1. Read the definition of “mammal”.
2. What are land mammals? And sea mammals?

Now read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How many giraffes were living in 1985?
   And in 2015?


2. Name two reasons why the giraffe population has declined.


3. “But it’s not all bad news ...”
   What’s the good news?