When man evolved a conscience, his basic relationship with the other animals began to change. Until then, they were broadly divided into those who ate him when they got the chance, those which he ate when he got the chance, and a third group, which competed with him in the business of keeping alive.
In the primitive situation, man was therefore basically against nature but as the battle was progressively won, conscience crept in; the awareness of responsibility and a failure to meet it, Produced feelings of guilt. Those who live in cities and need no longer do battle against nature are nowadays most actively for nature.
At this time, something like a thousand kinds of animals (vertebrate animals) can be said to be in danger of extinction. A few of them have been reduced to this precarious position by extensive killing.
But the majority is disappearing only as fast as the particular kind of country they need for existence is itself disappearing; and all this at the hands of man, as often as not by mistake. There are three species of turtle whose future survival is menaced by thedemand for turtle soup, which would hardly justify the extermination of a giant reptile whose family has existed for 200 million years. Leopards are in jeopardy because of the fashion for their skins.
As they get rearer, the prices rise and, as leopard skin coats become more expensive, the demand increases.o species can long survive the price of ₦60,000, which a half-grown baby leopard now carries on its skin. And the crocodiles, the longest surviving reptiles, are now dwindling alarmingly as a result of the fashion in crocodile skin for ladies' handbags and men's shoes.
The human explosion spreads mankind across the land surfaces of the earth at an alarming rate. There will be twice as many of us before most of us are dead. Does this mean no room for wild animals? of course not. With ingenuity and forethought, a place can be kept for them.
To destroy their habitat is as unnecessary as it would be to pull down a great cathedral in order to grow potatoes on the site. A campaign to save what remains is the concern of a new kind of Noah's Ark – The World Wildlife Fund. It does not believe that all is lost. (JAMB 2003)
The sentence "there will be twice as many of us before most of us are dead" means ____________
A. some increase in human and animal population growth rates B. mankind is fast spreading across the earth C. many of us will die as a result of population explosion D. the population growth rate will double before most of us die
