Elephants in Africa in net decline

(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ** to ***)

Picture credit: eng.wikipedia.org

The number of African elephants has declined dramatically.

The strong demand for ivory on the Asian black market has led to even more poaching. 

Consequently, the number of elephants killed every year has reached a high of around 35,000. 

If poaching does not stop, the entire species will become extinct within the next decades. 

You are now going to watch a report by the BBC focusing on this issue.

Before watching:

The following words and notes could be useful:

to thrive: to grow or develop vigorously             s'épanouir  / évoluer 

to vanish: to disappear      disparaître 

the tusks: the long curved teeth sticking out of the mouth of some animals like elephants or walruses      défenses    

A walrus
Photo credit: walrus.org.uk

to hack off: to chop; to cut      trancher   

to rot: to undergo decomposition      pourrir; se décomposer    

to poach: to take (and kill) fish, game or other animals illegally      braconner   

to soar: to rise or ascend rather suddenly       augmenter considérablement; monter en flèche

fuelled by: stimulated by      généré par

to wipe out: to destroy or be destroyed completely       éliminer; détruire

a keystone species: a central species on which others would depend within a specific ecosystem 

une espèce clé; espèce considérable... 

the conservationist: the person who promotes the preservation of the environment and of  natural resources         un adepte ou défenseur de l'environnement

the stockpile: large supply / the fact of having stored a large quantity of a specific product     stock; réserves   

to curb: to restrain          faire fléchir; juguler; restreindre 

the slaughter: the massacre / the fact of killing in large numbers but also in a brutal way     massacre; boucherie 

to become extinct: to die out / to be wiped out / to be dead; gone, vanished     disparu; éteint

the Knowsley Safari Park: a zoological park and tourist attraction in the Knowsley area of Merseyside, England. More details? Click HERE

Knwsley, Merseyside
Map credit: eng.wilipedia.org

While watching:

Complete the chart with the missing information

You can also watch the BBC report by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers.