| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
| Python | A large snake that is not venomous and squeezes its prey. |
| Smuggle | To move goods secretly and illegally. |
| Fine | An amount of money that must be paid as a punishment |
Recently, U.S. border officials stopped a big truck because it had a secret cargo inside—39 pythons! These pythons were being smuggled from Texas to Mexico. The truck was crossing a place called the World Trade Bridge, which connects two cities, Laredo in Texas and Nuevo Laredo in Mexico.
The truck driver told officials there were no banned items inside, but when they checked, they found the sneaky snakes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took the pythons to make sure they were safe. The driver got in trouble and had to pay a fine of $34,824. The truck and trailer were also taken away.
It is important to follow special rules when moving animals between countries. This helps protect wildlife and the environment. People try to smuggle animals in other ways too. For example, someone tried to hide parrots in their car earlier this year!
The officers who stopped the pythons showed how hard they work to keep both the border and animals safe. They want to make sure that everyone follows the rules.
Bridging words
These words sound similar in English and Spanish: Why not practice them now?
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Bridge | Puente |
| Animal | Animal |
| Export | Exportar |
Time to discuss
- Why is it important to follow rules when moving animals across countries?
- What do you think could happen if someone brings animals into a country secretly?
- How can people help protect wildlife?
Let’s Write
Answer the following questions in one paragraph
- What happened when the truck with pythons was stopped by the officers?
- Why is it important to have rules about transporting animals?
