One Family's Efforts to Save Endangered Animals

 

Imagine a world with no more wild animals: no elephants, no giraffes or lions.

To some people, that thought is too terrible for words. So, they are doing something about it.

Being surrounded by wild animals -- feeding them and caring for them -- is all Tiffany Soechting has wanted to do with her life.

And that is exactly what she does!

Soechting is the human "mother" to the 500 animals that live on her family's wildlife farm in San Antonio, Texas.

At the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch¹, she cares for creatures from around the world. They come from every continent except Antarctica. Soechting says she loves them all. However, the giraffes occupy a special place in her heart. Buddy² the giraffe and his twin brother Wasswa live at the wildlife ranch.

Buddy and Wasswa are one of just nine sets of twin giraffes born at zoos around the world. After getting some media attention, Soechting launched the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to help protect giraffes living in the wild.

Buddy and Wasswa belong to a sub-group of giraffes known as reticulated giraffes. The animals are native to East Africa. Tiffany Soechting says wildlife experts are concerned about their shrinking numbers.

“And reticulated giraffes … their population in the last 15 years has declined⁴ by 80 percent. I was very blessed that I made connections with five of those researchers that took the giraffes up to a level that they are classified as vulnerable⁵.”

Here, Soechting is talking about organizations that follow the condition of animal populations and rate their standing⁶ in the wild. On this rating⁷ scale, “vulnerable” is worse than “near threatened” but better than “endangered.”

One such organization is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which publishes a Red List of Threatened Species⁸. The IUCN claims that currently⁹ 26,500 animal species are at risk of disappearing forever. So, it is good news when an animal is removed from the endangered list. That is what happened with reticulated giraffes.

At her Texas wild ranch, Tiffany Soechting wears many hats, meaning she does many different jobs. In addition to her business and animal care duties, she also holds monthly classes, where she teaches school children about the animals.

The ranch is also open to the public. Over 500 animals -- including some endangered species -- live there.

Visitors not only learn about all the creatures, they also get a chance to interact¹⁰ with them. And the animals are not against that. For them, people and special vehicles used on the ranch are part of their natural environment.

Soechting explains that most of the animals were born and raised on the ranch.

"For the most part, the majority of them are born and raised here. And even if we bring them in, like if we bring a new male in, the whole rest of the herd¹¹ is comfortable with what's going on.”

The Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is part conservatory¹², part educational center and part animal park. But for her, the ranch is just home. And it has been for many generations.

"My husband is the fifth generation. We raised both of our boys on the ranch. Now my oldest son had a son just last night. So, now the seventh generation lives on the Wildlife Ranch as well.”

As the animals walk peacefully around the grounds, it is easy to forget that San Antonio, a busy city, is just a few minutes away. Tiffany Soechting and the 500 animals do not seem to give it a second thought.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

ranch – n. a large farm especially in the U.S. where animals (such as cattle, horses, and sheep) are raised

twin – n. either one of two babies that are born at the same time to the same mother

zoo – n. a place where many kinds of animals are kept so that people can see them

decline³ – v. to become lower in amount or less in number

blessed – adj. bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

vulnerable – adj. open to attack, harm, or damage

conservation – n. a careful preservation¹³ and protection of something

comfortable – adj. not having any physically unpleasant feelings : experiencing physical comfort : allowing you to be relaxed : causing no worries, difficulty, or uncertainty

1 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

2 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

3 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。

4 declined   

v.辞谢，谢绝（邀请等）( decline的过去式和过去分词 )；（道路、物体等）下倾；（太阳）落下；（在品格、价值上）降低

参考例句：

• We asked her to come to our party, but she declined. 我们请她来参加我们的晚会，但是她谢绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He declined to charge his memory with so many details. 他不愿在脑中记这么多细枝末节。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 vulnerable   

adj.易受伤的，脆弱的，易受攻击的

参考例句：

• He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱，他就主动去保护她。
• The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 rating   

n.级别，等级，额定值，责骂，收视率

参考例句：

• It is a ship with a rating of 500,000 tons.这是一艘五十万吨级的船。
• The opinion polls gave the president a high rating.民意测验显示人民对总统的支持率很高。

8 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

9 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

10 interact   

vi.相互作用，相互影响，互通信息

参考例句：

• All things are interrelated and interact on each other.一切事物互相联系并相互作用。
• The policeman advised the criminal to interact with the police.警察劝罪犯与警方合作。

11 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

12 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

13 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。