Saving the white rhino - 6 Minute English

Improve your English vocabulary and listening in just six minutes!
Northern white rhinos are extinct in the wild. Conservationists are working on an artificial breeding programme, using eggs from the last two females in captivity in Kenya and sperm from a deceased male to preserve the species. Neil and Sam talk about the project and teach you related vocabulary.
This week's question:
The name, ‘rhinoceros’, comes from the ancient Greek, but what exactly does it mean?
a) thick skin
b) horned nose
c) small eye
Watch the video to find out the answer.
Vocabulary
embryo
an unborn animal or human being in the very early stages of development, inside its mother’s womb
inbreeding
when animals or people are born by breeding between closely related parents
hybrid
animal or plant that has been bred from two different species
calf
the young of several large mammals including cows, elephants, whales and rhinos
pregnancy
the state of a woman or female animal having a baby developing in their womb
ultrasound
procedure which uses ultrasonic sound waves to create images of internal body parts or babies growing inside the body
[Cover: Getty Images]
To download the audio and a transcript, go to:
www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish...
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#bbclearningenglish​​​ #learnenglish​​​ #whiterhino #animalconservation #wildlife

[@kienhoang6264]

that't great to show everyone over the world we must protect animal because they are friendly and those is a part of our life.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Kien. We have an episode of News Review which you might find interesting: 60% drop in global wildlife kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2HXdqaEZ9RgfM0

[@khoaleueh5656]

thanks you, it's so good, I learn a lot of things. Those videos like this help rise people awareness of protecting the biological diversity in Africa. I regret that my country is one of the most rhino-horn consumer in the Asia, so the government is consecutively trying to enhance knowledge of pointlessly using rhino-horn as medicine. I hope more and more people will understand that there is no difference between rhino horn and human nail.

[@carolinaretamal1444]

buenísimo, los felicito

[@camtuvu8393]

Neil Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Sam And I'm Sam. In this programme, we'll be hearing a news story linked to the 'Nature versus Nurture' debate, not concerning a human, but a rhinoceros! Neil The extremely rare northern white rhino of East Africa was on the brink of extinction when the second-to-last living male, Suni, died in 2014, leaving behind two females, Najin and Fatu - the last living creatures of their species. Sam Conservationists started an artificial breeding programme, using eggs from the females and sperm from Suni to produce an embryo - an unborn animal in the very early stages of development. Neil Recently there's been a new development in the story, but before we hear more, it's time for my quiz question. The name, rhinoceros, comes from the ancient Greek, but what exactly does it mean? Is it: a) Thick skin, b) Horned nose, Or c) Small eye? Sam That's a tricky one, because rhinos have all three! OK, I'll guess a) thick skin. Neil OK, Sam, we’ll find out later. Now let's get back to the story of those precious northern rhino embryos. Sam Well, the good news is that so far five embryos have been produced. They're being frozen until they can be implanted in southern rhinos - the northern species’ more common cousin. Neil Conservationist Thomas Hildebrandt runs the rhino breeding programme. He spoke to BBC World Service's, Science in Action, who asked him whether the embryos were genetically from the northern species. Thomas Hildebrandt Absolutely right. They're not hybrids, they're pure northern white rhino embryos which were generated with the desired breeding partner, Suni, who died in 2014. So we have embryos which have a very high quality...there's no inbreeding effect on these embryos, and it's so important to make the next step, to transfer these embryos because we can preserve life - biological material -in liquid nitrogen, but what we can't do - we can't preserve social knowledge and therefore we need desperately a calf on the ground so that these two existing northern white rhinos, can teach the new calf how to behave as a northern white rhino. Sam Having genetically pure embryos prevents the birth of hybrids -animals that have been bred from two different species. Neil It's also important the embryos have no inbreeding - breeding of a young animal from two closely related parents, because this can cause disease. Sam Fortunately, Thomas and his team have preserved five healthy and genetically pure northern rhino embryos in liquid nitrogen. Neil But while they can preserve nature, what Thomas's team can't provide is nurture - the social knowledge that a young northern rhino - or calf - can only learn from other northern rhinos. Sam And since Najin and Fatu, the last remaining northern rhinos on Earth, are getting old, the race is on to breed a young rhino calf before they die. Neil The good news for the survival of the northern white rhino is that experiments to implant the delicate embryos in southern rhinos have been successful. Sam Here's Thomas Hildebrandt again talking about these recent experiments with BBC World Service programme, Science in Action: Thomas Hildebrandt We will, for sure, not wait until this pregnancy is completed because it takes 16 months for a full pregnancy in a rhinoceros. So if this embryo implants -and we can see that on ultrasound... and - forms a nice placenta, that is the goal for us to proceed with the next step on the northern white rhino embryos. Neil Normally it takes 16 months fora female rhino to complete her pregnancy - the state in which a woman or female animal has a baby developing inside her. Sam But in the case of the northern rhino, the race is on to birth calves who can learn the rhino rules of social behavior from Aunty Najin and Granny Fatu while they're still alive... Neil Which is why conservationists are monitoring the pregnancy using ultrasound - a procedure using sound waves to create images of internal body parts, or in this case, growing rhino babies. Sam It's an unusual episode in the ongoing 'Nature versus Nurture' debate. Neil And hopefully a big step towards restoring the northern white rhino population so that future generations get to see these magnificent creatures with their thick skin, horned nose and... Sam ... And small eyes, Neil? So what was the answer to your quiz question? Neil Yes, I asked you what the name 'rhinoceros' meant. What did you say, Sam? Sam I guessed it was a) thick skin. Was I right? Neil Well, rhinos certainly do have thick skin, but their name actually comes from the Greek meaning, 'horned nose'. Sam Well, luckily I've got a thick skin too, so I won't take it personally! Let's have another look at the vocabulary we've learned, starting with embryo - an unborn animal or human still inside its mother's womb. Neil A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species. Sam Inbreeding is when a young animal is born from closely related parents. Neil A calf is the name for the young of several large mammals including cows, elephants and whales, as well as rhinos. Sam Pregnancy means being pregnant or growing a baby inside you. Neil And finally, ultrasound is used to see internal organs or a baby developing inside a woman. Sam And that's all from this species-saving edition of 6 Minute English. Neil Goodbye! Sam Bye bye! (Hope this will help you)

[@WooEnglish]

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[@sarvarmuxtorov134]

Thanks a lot.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Happy to help!

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Useful video. Thanks and respect from Iraq.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Jalil. Thank you for your comment. We are glad you like our video.

[@huzzans2939]

So great

[@tgchan]

Thank you/

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thanks from Moinak, Aral Sea

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I was waiting for new episode

[@hieunguyentrung423]

I love This Video. Thanks

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Glad you enjoyed it!

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my dad watches this 2 years and im proud

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Wow. Nice. Where are you from..?

[@user-cg2wb1fl3t]

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[@camtuvu8393]

That's great

[@user-iu4nn4nf6o]

Brink embryo ultrasound womb inbreeding calf

[@bbclearningenglish]

Already learning some vocabulary. Well done!

[@isaaclee2708]

I am here to do work from school love from America

[@Ice-hm9tu]

Love BBC!!!

[@MornaDKoala]

Hey I'm here to pick up some information

[@ahsnizamani9592]

this should be priority to save the animals which are going unexisted gradually

[@englishwithmiranda]

Right, they are going extinct 😥

[@Vrey662]

The audio is low.

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This listening was hard for me

[@user-uv5yd8gk7h]

Tnakyo

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today's voca 5:28

[@raineph4568]

sadly that white rhinos have just extinct in the world

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I'm the first 😉

[@stranger9984]

1st view ❤️