1. The history of taming 5. The evolution of bison
2. Comparing the two species 6. Born to be wild
3. A beautiful place to be saved 7. Safer than before, but not enough
4. Reasons to domesticate cows 8. Failed attempts to protect
A. It is likely that the modern European bison arose from the steppe bison. Recent
research says it appeared as a result of an interbreeding event between the
steppe bison and the ancestor of modern cows around 120,000 years ago. At
one point, some steppe bison crossbred with the ancestors of the modern yak.
After that, a population of steppe bison crossed the Bering Land Bridge to
North America. Then the steppe bison spread through the northern parts of
North America, where it lived until around 8,000 years ago.
B. The Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve is one of the smallest in Russia. It
covers an area of 4,960 hectares on the terraces of the Oka River valley. This is
a unique area with its natural diversity of pine and mixed forests, small rivers,
streams and marshes. Here you can observe the life of animals and birds in
their natural habitat. The symbol of the reserve is a bison. This is a wild forest
bull, which was recently on the verge of extinction. Bison youngsters grown up
to two years in the reserve are sent to replenish free-living populations.
C. Though the American and European bisons are close relatives, it is easy to spot
clear differences in their behaviour and build. Adult European bisons are
slimmer in build and have longer legs. European bisons tend to graze less and
walk around more than their American relatives. This difference in behaviour
is reflected in their build. The American bison’s head hangs lower than the
European’s does. American bisons are more easily tamed than their European
cousins are. They also breed with domestic cattle more readily.
D. American bisons are known for living on the Great Plains. Bisons were hunted
close to extinction during the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since
rebounded. The European bison owes its survival, in part, to the Chernobyl
disaster. Ironically, the Chernobyl Zone has become a kind of wildlife
preserve, though poaching has become a threat in recent years. The American
Plains bison is no longer listed as endangered, but this does not mean the
species is safe. Their fragmented herds call for active conservation measures.
10
Открытый вариант 2
E. In the middle of the 19th century people started realising how important the
buffalo was. Reasons for that included not only animal cruelty, but also
ecological and future resources. Someone needed to speak out, and over the
years they did, but never enough at one time to count. The real extermination
of the buffalo was caused by the demands of trade, aided by hunters and
Indians. However, the blame really lies with the government, which in all those
years permitted a few ignorant Congressmen to block the laws protecting these
animals.
F. There have been several attempts to tame the buffalo, but there are a few things
that stand in the way. The buffalo is very aggressive by nature; it can run up to
40 mph and can jump vertically in the air almost their entire height. Imagine
trying to teach an angry, prancing sedan to stay still and respect you. All that
said, there have been instances of domestic buffalo. This is possible if they are
raised from calves to be only with humans. Even then, they seem to be loyal
and friendly with a small set of humans, not all humans.
G. At about the same time they domesticated plants, people in Mesopotamia
began to domesticate animals for meat, milk, and hides. Hides were used for
clothing, storing things and for building tent shelters. Goats were probably the
first animals to be domesticated, followed closely by sheep. Later, people
began domesticating larger animals, such as oxen or horses, for ploughing and
transportation. These are known as beasts of burden. The easiest animals to
domesticate are herbivores that graze on grass, because they are the easiest to
feed.

kulaevmasya    1   08.05.2020 12:00    58