Rewilding Britain Comprehension PDF

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Animals Text focus: Information Text Rewilding Britain Is it time to bring back our lost species? Britain used to be a very different pla...

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Animals Text focus: Information Text Rewilding Britain Is it time to bring back our lost species? Britain used to be a very different place. It was a land of forests and wilderness. Wolves, lynx and bears roamed. They preyed on elk and wild cows called aurochs. Then humans came. They cut down the forests for farming and they hunted these wild creatures for food and fur. The last wolf was hunted a few hundred years ago. Britain had lost its great predators. However, there are those who want to bring extinct species back. The capercaillie, the sea eagle and the beaver are three species which ‘rewilders’ have already brought back to this country. Further to this, there are people who want to bring back predators such as wolves and lynx too. The debate about whether this is a good idea has passionate views on both sides. Wolves and lynx are apex predators. This means that they are the top of the food chain. Supporters of rewilding point out that apex predators keep populations of other species under control. For example, they hunt on herbivores such as deer. Too many deer cause problems such as damaging woodland and crops due to overgrazing. This, in turn, means that some birds lose their habitats. Did you know that over 100,000 deer are shot in Scotland each year to help prevent this? This would not be needed if apex predators were there to do the job naturally. To add to their arguments, supporters of rewilding state that these species would not have disappeared at all if not for man. Therefore, they claim that it is right to reverse this harm. Finally, having these impressive wild animals back would bring tourism to these areas. Safaris and nature-spo ng tours would raise much-needed money for rural areas. On the other side of the argument, there are concerns about how these predators would threaten farm animals and even humans. Lynx do not attack humans and they have not caused problems to farm animals in Europe where they already live. They are shy and mysterious creatures. In Norway however, higher numbers of sheep have been killed by lynx. This seems to be because in Norway the sheep graze in and close to the lynx’s forest home. Wolves on the other hand could A pose a bigger threat. They would have to be kept in fenced reserves. This ding ro Rea und all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com would mean that parts of the countryside would be out of bounds for walkers and nature-lovers. There is the worry that the reserves would become visitor attractions for rich tourists and off- limits to anyone else. Another concern is that introducing these animals is a rather unpredictable experiment. The habitats have changed since wolves and lynx were last here. Could they still support these species? No one can be totally sure if it would even work. Of course, if the rewilders have their way, we will find out soon enough. What do you think? Do you like the idea of lynx stalking in our forests again. Does the thought of wolves howling in the night give you a tingle of excitement or send shivers down your spine? RETRIEVAL FOCUS 1. Which word in the introduction is closest in meaning to ‘wandered about’? 2. What do you think overgrazing means? 3. What are rural areas? 4. What does it mean if an area is out of bounds? 5. What does stalking mean? VIPERS QUESTIONS R When did wolves become extinct in Britain? S In your own words summarise how apex predators help the environment. R Why would reintroducing these species bring economic advantages? E How does the writer create a positive impression of the predators? P Which predator do you think should be the main candidate for reintroduction and why? all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com