NEXT UP! 3 74 Wildlife at risk Planet Earth has so much to offer with its beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife. There is so much to see, explore, discover and learn. Unfortunately, with a climate that is dramatically changing, that diversity of life is at risk. The rise in temperature across the globe threatens animals that live near ice caps. Polar bears, for example, need sea ice for hunting, resting and breeding. The shrinking ice caps in the Arctic region have made the polar bear a vulnerable species. Several types of seals also are losing their hunting grounds, and smaller forms of sea life like fish and plankton depend on the ice too. This shrinking may also cause more extreme weather around the globe. For decades, the hunt to collect animal body parts has had dramatic consequences for many species. The hawksbill turtle is a species of reptile that has travelled our seas for the last 100 million years. They do an important job in maintaining the health of coral reefs and sea-grass beds. Because of their beautiful shell, hawksbills are critically endangered. On land, the African black rhino population experienced a dramatic decline in the 20th century due to the illegal trade of their horns. Namibia was the first country to remove the animals’ horns to protect them from poachers. Despite this, the black rhino is considered a critically endangered species. MODEL TEXT scenery – landslag deforestation – eyðing skóga to increase – auka Animal or species? A bear is an animal, but there are many species of bear, for example polar bear, brown bear, sun bear and giant panda.
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