Beginners. I know that you podlisteners have heard about my trip to New Zealand, but, I'm afraid, you will have to hear more. There is much more to tell. One of the things that it is interesting to learn about when you go to another country, is the wild life. My brother, Richard, as well as being a teacher, is a photographer, and, as such, is a wild life fanatic. Every chance he gets, he will take a picture of a bird or another creature. In fact, it is not unusual to find my brother totally dressed in green and brown camouflage clothes, hiding in a bush in a forest, sitting for hours on end, waiting for an opportunity to take the perfect picture. He's a perfectionist, and his photos reveal that about him. He enouraged me to go with him to a wild life sanctuary just outside Christchurch to see some native and non-native species. We had a great time. One of the cutest things we saw was a Wallaby. It is just like a Kangaroo but much smaller. The ones in this sanctuary were quite tame. My brother was able to pet one of them, and it didn't seem scared at all. We walked along a quiet, forest-like path and saw lots of different birds and other animals. Then came the most special experience of the trip. A Kiwi sanctuary. They are nocturnal and very shy. It was quite a thrill to see one. Grammar notes. Related vocabulary: camouflage, fanatic, sanctuary, species, native. Exs: The soldier in the forest was dressed in camouflage, but we could see his red underwear. My cousin is a fanatic about cleaning; her house is always spotless. That church is a sanctuary; a safe, quiet place to think and pray. There a many species of snake in this country. Some are even poisonous. Some of the flowers in my garden are native of Nepal. Advanced. I knew nothing about the Kiwi bird until I went to New Zealand. I didn't realize that it is a nocturnal bird that is completely defenseless. It doesn't fly, so if there are any predators near them, they don't stand a chance. Apparently, before the European settlers arrived in New Zealand, it was a country of birds. There were no predators of any kind, so the birds were safe. There are still no major predators like wild cats, bears, or wolves. However, with the settlers came rats and stoats, both of which eat birds and their eggs. This severely reduced the amount of Kiwis. Because they don't have sharp teeth or strong claws, they are weak in a fight. Also, they have a huge disadvantage of being flightless, so they can not escape. The poor things are sitting targets for the rats and stoats. But now, they are very much protected. All out war has been declared on their predators. Anyone who wants to kill a rat or a stoat at any time, is more than welcome. Also, science is being used to get the Kiwi numbers up and into full production. One of the small coastal islands that form part of the territory of New Zealand is being cleared of all rodents, and will be dedicated to the Kiwi. I think it is significant that such a gentle creature is the national symbol of this beautiful and humane country. Grammar notes. Related vocabulary: predators, defenseless, rodents, disadvantage, a sitting target. Exs: In this country, there are some pretty scary predators: Grizzly bears, and Cougars. The poor little butterfly was quite defenseless against the spider. I hate rodents; they carry diseases and are very aggressive. Peter realized that his lack of humor was a disadvantage. The duck was frozen on the pond; it was a sitting target.

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