A thousand years ago, Hong Kong was covered by a thick forest. As more and more people came to live in Hong Kong, these trees were cut down and burnt.  Now there is no forest left, though there are still some small areas covered with trees. We call these woods. Elephants, tigers and many other animals were living in the thick forest. When people came to live in Hong Kong, the animals began to die out. Early farmers grew rice and kept pigs and chickens in the valleys. They cut down the trees and burnt them. They needed fire to keep themselves warm in winter, to cook their food and to keep away the dangerous animals. Elephants quickly disappeared because there was not enough food for them. Many other animals soon died in the same way. You might think that there are no longer any animals in Hong Kong except in 2005. But there are still about 36 different animals living there. One of the most interesting of Hong Kong's animals is the barking deer. These are beautiful little animals with a rich brown coat and a white patch under the tail. They look like deer but they are much smaller. They are less than two feet high. They make a noise rather like a dog barking. In Hong Kong the barking deer has only a real enemy---- men. People hunt these little animals though it is illegal, There are now not many barking deer left. So it is important for people to protect wild animals. The   _   began to die out when people came to live in Hong Kong.
animals pigs trees chickens