Describe a Place Where You Can See a Lot of Animals: IELTS Cue Card

The place I’d like to describe is a wildlife rescue centre on the edge of the forest just outside my city. It’s quite different from a normal zoo, because almost all the animals there were found injured or were rescued from bad conditions.

You can see a surprisingly wide range of animals. There’s a large section for birds of prey, like owls, eagles and hawks, many of which were hit by cars or caught in fishing nets. There are also foxes, deer and wild boar, and the most famous resident is a brown bear that was rescued from a travelling circus about ten years ago. She lives in a big enclosure with trees and a pond, and when I saw her she was lying in the sun looking very relaxed, which was lovely, considering her history.

I went there last summer, on a volunteer day organised by my university. We spent the morning cleaning enclosures, which was hard, smelly work, to be honest, and in the afternoon one of the keepers gave us a tour and explained how they treat the animals. She told us that around seventy per cent of the birds that arrive are eventually released back into the wild.

I felt quite emotional about the place. Some of the stories were sad, especially the animals injured because of humans. But overall it left me feeling hopeful, because the people working there are so dedicated, and most of the animals actually get a second chance. I’ve always had mixed feelings about traditional zoos, but this felt different, because the animals’ welfare clearly comes first rather than entertainment. I’ve been back twice since then and I’m planning to volunteer regularly.

Useful language:a surprisingly wide range ofbirds of preythe most famous residentenclosurereleased back into the wildso dedicatedanimals’ welfare comes first

It depends a lot on the zoo. Modern, well-funded zoos run breeding programmes for endangered species and educate the public, which can genuinely help conservation. But in poorly run zoos, animals live in small cages and clearly suffer. I think zoos should only keep animals that can live well in captivity, and focus on conservation rather than entertainment.

Useful language:breeding programmesendangered speciesin captivity

Animals are naturally fascinating to children. They’re unpredictable, often funny, and very different from anything in a child’s daily life. Seeing a real elephant is far more exciting than a picture. It can also teach children empathy and responsibility, especially if they help feed or care for animals.

Useful language:naturally fascinatingunpredictableempathy

In general, no. Wild animals have complex needs that are very difficult to meet in a house, and many suffer stress or die young. The exotic pet trade also encourages animals to be taken from the wild. I think it should be strictly regulated, if not banned altogether.

Useful language:complex needsthe exotic pet tradestrictly regulated

On a personal level, people can avoid products linked to habitat destruction, such as some types of palm oil, and support conservation charities. Governments play the biggest role, though, by protecting natural habitats, punishing illegal hunting and creating national parks. Education is key too, because people protect what they understand.

Useful language:habitat destructionconservation charitiesillegal hunting