Protecting Endangered Animals · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

How People Protect Endangered Animals

Science · Animals of the World · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. How many California condors were left in the entire world in 1982?

    Answer: ______________

  2. Why do national parks limit hunting, building, and fishing?

    • So animals have a safe place to find food and raise their young
    • So visitors can get better photos of the scenery
    • So farm animals have more grass to eat

  3. Why do poachers kill elephants?

    • To take their tusks and sell them
    • To stop elephants from eating farm crops
    • To make shoes from elephant skin

  4. What is a marine reserve?

    • A place where fish are farmed for food
    • A boat used to rescue stranded whales
    • A protected area of ocean where wildlife is kept safe from harmful fishing and other threats

  5. Illegal hunters are sneaking into a reserve at night and killing elephants. Which conservation tool stops the hunters directly?

    • A captive breeding programme for elephants
    • A wildlife corridor to a neighbouring park
    • Anti-poaching patrols watching the reserve

  6. A beach shop sells jewellery made from the shells of endangered sea turtles. Which conservation tool targets this problem directly?

    • A wildlife corridor joining two forests
    • A law banning trade in things made from endangered animals
    • A captive breeding programme for turtles

  7. Look at the chart. About how many more California condors are alive today than there were in 1982?

    198222Today300

    Answer: ______________

  8. Which list shows the steps of a captive breeding programme in the right order?

    • Raise the young, sell them to zoos, then catch wild adults
    • Catch the last wild animals, raise the young in safety, release them when numbers grow
    • Release the animals first, then catch them, then breed them

  9. A marine reserve bans fishing, and scientists breed endangered sea turtles nearby and release them into the reserve. Why does using both together work better than either one alone?

    • The reserve means the breeding programme is no longer needed
    • Breeding turtles means the reserve can drop its fishing ban
    • Breeding lifts turtle numbers while the reserve keeps their ocean home safe, so the young turtles can survive and multiply

  10. In 1982 only 22 California condors were left. Today there are about 300. About how many times as many condors are there today as in 1982? Round to the nearest whole number.

    Answer: ______________

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How People Protect Endangered Animals W1-mt_pWwV_8OgXD-s1

  1. 22 · The lesson's example says only 22 California condors remained in 1982. A breeding programme grew them to about 300 today.
  2. So animals have a safe place to find food and raise their young · Protected areas keep animals safe from disturbance, so they can feed, breed, and raise their young in peace.
  3. To take their tusks and sell them · The lesson says elephants are killed for their tusks. The tusks are sold for money, which is why patrols and trade laws both work to stop this.
  4. A protected area of ocean where wildlife is kept safe from harmful fishing and other threats · A marine reserve limits or bans fishing and other harmful activity so ocean animals have a safe place to live.
  5. Anti-poaching patrols watching the reserve · Rangers on anti-poaching patrols watch protected areas and stop illegal hunters where the hunting happens. Corridors and breeding help in other ways, but they do not stop a hunter in the park.
  6. A law banning trade in things made from endangered animals · When selling turtle-shell products is illegal, shops cannot profit from them, and the reason to take turtles shrinks.
  7. 278 · 300 minus 22 is 278. The breeding programme grew the population by hundreds.
  8. Catch the last wild animals, raise the young in safety, release them when numbers grow · The condor story gives the order: scientists caught the last wild condors, raised chicks safely, and released them once there were enough.
  9. Breeding lifts turtle numbers while the reserve keeps their ocean home safe, so the young turtles can survive and multiply · Conservation works best when it helps the species and protects its habitat at the same time. Each tool covers what the other misses.
  10. 14 · 300 divided by 22 is about 13.6, which rounds to 14. The population is roughly 14 times what it was.
Worksheet · LightMySky