World News for Students of English

27-01-2015 15:00

India is home to 70 per cent of the world’s tigers, according to the 2014 census.

Tigers are increasingly vulnerable to extinction, as they face the dangers of poaching, killing and habitat loss, despite various conservation efforts. The World Wildlife Fund says the world has lost 97 per cent of its tiger population in just over a century.

India has been struggling to keep its tiger population intact, but the country’s environment minister said the new figures revealed that progress had been made.

“Our latest estimate today is that India has 70 per cent of the world’s tiger population. And, we have now 2,226 tigers presently in 47 tiger reserves. And this is a great achievement! It’s a net increase of 20 per cent over the last estimation.”

The environment minister also applauded the efforts of forest guards and wildlife activists in helping protect the tigers.

The trade in animal skin and bones is booming, especially in places like China, where fur, whiskers, organs and bones are still used, despite the ban on tiger parts in medicines.

Difficult words: census (an official count by a government), extinction (there will be no more of this type of animal in the entire world), habitat (an animal’s natural home), population (the number of something that exist), effort (activity), struggle (to try hard), intact (not damaged), estimate (a calculation), net (overall change), activist (person who tries to help something).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com