Elephant Translocation - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Elephant translocation
Reasons for overpopulation at Majete National Park
- strict enforcement of anti-poaching laws
- successful breeding
Problems caused by elephant overpopulation
- greater competition, causing hunger for elephants
- damage to 31 in the park
The translocation process
- a suitable group of elephants from the same 32 was selected
- vets and park staff made use of 33 to help guide the elephants into an open plain
- elephants were immobilised with tranquilisers
– this process had to be completed quickly to reduce 34
– elephants had to be turned on their 35 to avoid damage to their lungs
– elephants’ 36 had to be monitored constantly
– tracking devices were fitted to the matriarchs
– data including the size of their tusks and 37 was taken
- elephants were taken by truck to their new reserve
Advantages of translocation at Nkhotakota Wildlife Park
- 38 opportunities
- a reduction in the number of poachers and 39
- an example of conservation that other parks can follow
- an increase in 40 as a contributor to GDP
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | fences | Elephants were routinely knocking down fences around the park, which then had to be repaired at a significant cost. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript talks about elephants damaging the fences around the park, which then required costly repairs. Answer Explanation: The answer 'fences' refers to barriers that elephants were knocking down around the park. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'fences' because the excerpt directly mentions elephants knocking down the fences, indicating that the issue of elephant overpopulation led to damage to the park's fences, requiring repairs. |
| Q32 | family | Elephants were moved in groups of between eight and twenty, all belonging to one family. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that elephants were moved in groups that consisted of 8 to 20 elephants who were all part of the same biological unit. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the term as 'family,' which means a group of individuals related by blood or kinship. In this context, it refers to a group of elephants who are related to each other. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer matches the context of the information provided in the excerpt, which specifically mentions that the elephants moved were from the same family group. It aligns with the idea of elephants living in family units or herds in the wild, highlighting the importance of keeping related elephants together during the translocation process. |
| Q33 | helicopters | A team of vets and park rangers flew over the park in helicopters and targeted a group, which were rounded up and directed to a designated open plain. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes a team of vets and park rangers using helicopters to locate and gather a group of elephants at the park. Answer Explanation: The answer 'helicopters' refers to the aircraft used by the team to assist in the elephant translocation process. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the excerpt where it specifically mentions that the team flew over the park in helicopters to target and round up the elephants, fitting perfectly with the context of the translocation operation. |
| Q34 | stress | This also had to be done as quickly as possible so as to minimise the stress caused. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that the translocation process needed to be done quickly to reduce the stress caused. Answer Explanation: The answer 'stress' refers to the pressure or strain placed on the elephants during the translocation process. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'stress' is supported by the excerpt where it mentions the importance of minimizing stress during the translocation process. This indicates that stress was a significant concern in the operation. |
| Q35 | sides | So all the elephants had to be placed on their sides. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript means that all the elephants had to lie down on their sides. Answer Explanation: The answer 'sides' refers to the position in which the elephants had to be placed during the translocation process, specifically that they had to lie on their sides. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'sides' matches with the requirement mentioned in the transcript that the elephants had to be turned on their sides during the translocation process to avoid lung damage. |
| Q36 | breathing | It was very important to keep an eye on their breathing – if there were fewer than six breaths per minute, the elephant would need urgent medical attention. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript emphasizes the importance of monitoring the breathing of elephants during the translocation process. If an elephant breathes less than six times per minute, it requires immediate medical attention. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the process of breathing - how the elephants were monitored to ensure they were breathing properly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'breathing' because it directly relates to the vital sign mentioned in the excerpt. Monitoring the breathing rate helps determine the health status of the elephants during the translocation, ensuring they receive necessary medical attention promptly if needed. |
| Q37 | feet | Measurements were taken of each elephant’s tusks – elephants with large tusks would be at greater risk from poachers – and also of their feet. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript mentions that measurements were taken of the size of the elephants' tusks, which could make them more vulnerable to poachers. Additionally, measurements of their feet were taken. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the body part of the elephants that was measured during the translocation process. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'feet' is supported by the fact that measurements of elephants' feet were taken during the translocation process, along with their tusks. This body part is essential to monitor the health and well-being of elephants during the process of moving them to a new reserve. |
| Q38 | employment | Employment prospects have improved enormously, contributing to rising living standards for the whole community. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript indicates that job opportunities have significantly improved, leading to higher living standards for everyone in the community. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the creation of jobs or work opportunities for people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer fits the context as it directly corresponds to the improved job prospects mentioned in the excerpt. 'Employment' aligns with the idea that more people finding work has uplifted the living standards of the community. |
| Q39 | weapons | In fact, many of them volunteered to give up their weapons, as they were no longer of any use to them. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript suggests that many people were willing to give up their weapons because they were no longer needed. Answer Explanation: The answer implies that the volunteers offered to surrender their weapons. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer matches the context in the excerpt where people gave up their weapons willingly, indicating that the word 'weapons' is the correct answer. |
| Q40 | tourism | All this has been a big draw for tourism, which contributes five times more than the illegal wildlife trade to GDP, and this is mainly because of the elephants. | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript is saying that tourism, which is people visiting for leisure or pleasure, is a significant source of income for the country. It mentions that tourism from seeing elephants contributes a lot to the country's money. Answer Explanation: The answer points to 'tourism,' which means people traveling to visit different places. In this context, it refers to tourists coming to see elephants and other wildlife. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tourism' because the excerpt directly talks about tourism being a major contributor to the country's economy due to the attraction of elephants to visitors. This aligns with the idea that translocation at Nkhotakota Wildlife Park provides tourism opportunities and boosts the economic benefits derived from wildlife. |
Transcript
For my presentation today I want to tell you about how groups of elephants have been moved and settled in new reserves. This is known as translocation and has been carried out in Malawi in Africa in recent years. The reason this is being done is because of overpopulation of elephants in some areas.
Overpopulation is a good problem to have and not one we tend to hear about very often. In Malawi’s Majete National Park the elephant population had been wiped out by poachers, who killed the elephants for their ivory. But in 2003, the park was restocked and effective law enforcement was introduced. Since then, not a single elephant has been poached. In this safe environment, the elephant population boomed. Breeding went so well that there were more elephants than the park could support.
This led to a number of problems. Firstly, there was more competition for food, which meant that some elephants were suffering from hunger. As there was a limit to the amount of food in the national park, some elephants began looking further afield. Elephants were routinely knocking down fences around the park, which then had to be repaired at a significant cost.
To solve this problem, the decision was made to move dozens of elephants from Majete National Park to Nkhotakota Wildlife Park, where there were no elephants. But, obviously, attempting to move significant numbers of elephants to a new home 300 kilometres away is quite a challenge.
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So how did this translocation process work in practice?
Elephants were moved in groups of between eight and twenty, all belonging to one family. Because relationships are very important to elephants, they all had to be moved at the same time. A team of vets and park rangers flew over the park in helicopters and targeted a group, which were rounded up and directed to a designated open plain.
The vets then used darts to immobilise the elephants – this was a tricky manoeuvre, as they not only had to select the right dose of tranquiliser for different-sized elephants but they had to dart the elephants as they were running around. This also had to be done as quickly as possible so as to minimise the stress caused. As soon as the elephants began to flop onto the ground, the team moved in to take care of them.
To avoid the risk of suffocation, the team had to make sure none of the elephants were lying on their chests because their lungs could be crushed in this position. So all the elephants had to be placed on their sides. One person stayed with each elephant while they waited for the vets to do checks. It was very important to keep an eye on their breathing – if there were fewer than six breaths per minute, the elephant would need urgent medical attention. Collars were fitted to the matriarch in each group so their movements could be tracked in their new home. Measurements were taken of each elephant’s tusks – elephants with large tusks would be at greater risk from poachers – and also of their feet. The elephants were then taken to a recovery area before being loaded onto trucks and transported to their new home.
The elephants translocated to Nkhotakota settled in very well and the project has generally been accepted to have been a huge success – and not just for the elephants. Employment prospects have improved enormously, contributing to rising living standards for the whole community. Poaching is no longer an issue, as former poachers are able to find more reliable sources of income. In fact, many of them volunteered to give up their weapons, as they were no longer of any use to them.
More than two dozen elephants have been born at Nkhotakota since relocation. With an area of more than 1,800 square kilometres, there’s plenty of space for the elephant population to continue to grow. Their presence is also helping to rebalance Nkhotakota’s damaged ecosystem and providing a sustainable conservation model, which could be replicated in other parks. All this has been a big draw for tourism, which contributes five times more than the illegal wildlife trade to GDP, and this is mainly because of the elephants. There’s also been a dramatic rise in interest …