The words "protect animals" appear everywhere in books and on screens, because some animals are even in danger of dying out. But sometimes the reality can be a little different from what people read or watch.
About 300 black bears were killed in Florida, the US, in October, 2015. It's been the first bear hunt in the state since 1994. Local officers explained that the black bear population had grown to 3,500 and become a menace to local people. In the past two years, bears have hurt at least four people in Florida.
Months ago, the Swiss government allowed locals to kill a wolf. This was because the wolf killed 38 sheep, and it was a great loss to some local farmers. Days ago in China, three old men were caught by the police for killing a serow (鬣羚), a kind of protected animal. They said they killed the animal because it ate the plants they grew.
However, these stories don't always mean that animal protection stops because of human interests, especially when it is related to economic development. A man named Zhou Weisen set up a wild animal base in Guilin, Guangxi. He saved over 170 tigers and about 300 bears. His base also offered jobs to local people.
"There may never be a standard answer to the question of whether we should give more attention to the environment or human development," said Robert May, a British expert at Oxford University. "But we shouldn't push either one to the side, as the future is uncertain."