Endangered Species

This passage discusses an animal that is now considered an endangered species, the rhinoceros.

Lexile Level: 580L

Categories: Animals & Nature

There are five kinds of rhinoceroses left in the world. The black rhino and the white rhino live in Africa. They have large horns. The horns are used for medicine and knives. The horns are worth a lot of money. Hunters kill rhinos for money. They are also killed for sport. More rhinos were being killed than were being born. Countries around the world agreed to try and save these animals because rhinos help the environment. They spread plant seeds across Africa. Some people think they look like small dinosaurs. People do not want to lose this tie to the past. Rhinos are one of the largest animals that live on land. A baby rhino weighs around 150 pounds at birth. Even though they are big, rhinos are fast. They run up to forty miles an hour. However, they cannot outrun a hunter's bullet. That is why rhinos are protected animals.