Three-legged elephant Vutomi survives with her herd's support

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2023/03/10

Difficulty: Elementary A2

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Vocabulary Match

adapted -   - severe
resilience -   - toughness
harsh -   - highest
compassion -   - hunter
predator -   - adjusted
utmost -   - empathy

Article

Vutomi the elephant, despite having a noticeable limp and only three legs, continues to live a normal life by adapting to her situation and keeping up with her herd. Dylan Pons, a content creator for Zuka Private Game Reserve in South Africa, shared his experience on LatestSightings.com of when he came across a herd of elephants at Nsemani dam during an afternoon drive.

Despite Vutomi's loss of a limb, she finds comfort and relief in the water and continues to move with her herd. Vutomi's injury may have been due to a snare or predator attack when she was younger. However, her herd surrounds her, embraces her and shows an amazing sense of empathy and compassion.

Dylan Pons warns people to give space to any injured animals they may encounter to avoid adding any stress to their already difficult situation. "We are in their environment after all. Respect is of utmost importance when dealing with these gentle giants."

Quiz

  1. What was Dylan Pons doing when he came across the herd of elephants?
  2. What caused Vutomi's injury?

Conversation

A: Hey, look over there! Does that elephant only have three legs?
B: Oh my god, you're right! Poor thing. How is she even walking like that?
A: I don't know, but she seems to be keeping up with the rest of her herd.
B: Look at how they keep checking on her. Oh! That one is helping her along!
A: It's kind of heartwarming to see how kind and protective they are of each other.
B: Definitely. I think this might be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Discussion

  1. When you think of Africa, what animals do you imagine? Have you seen any of them?
  2. Some animals are endangered. What can people do to protect them?
  3. If you could choose any zoo animal to have as a pet, which would you choose? Why?
  4. What can we learn from Vutomi and her elephant herd?

Vocabulary Answers

adapted → adjusted
resilience → toughness
harsh → severe
compassion → empathy
predator → hunter
utmost → highest

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. He was driving. / He was out on an afternooon drive.
  2. It may have been due to a snare or predator attack when she was younger.

Source Material

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/03/10/safrica-three-legged-lion-africa/9661678470063/


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