# Describe a wild animal you'd like to learn about: IELTS Speaking sample answers Speaking Part 2 - Animals Describe a wild animal you would like to learn more about. You should say: - what the animal is - where it lives - how you first learned about it - and explain why you would like to learn more about it Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo. ## Band 6 sample The wild animal I would like to learn more about is the dolphin. I think most people know about dolphins, but actually I know only very basic things, so I want to learn more. Dolphins live in the sea in many parts of the world, especially in warm water, and some types of dolphins live in rivers also. In my country there is a river dolphin, but it is very rare now and I have never seen one in real life. They live in groups, which is called pods, and they communicate with each other by making clicking and whistling sounds. The first time I learned about dolphins was when I was in primary school. Our teacher show us a documentary in the class about the ocean, and there was a part where the dolphins were jumping out of water and swimming beside a boat. All the students were very excited, and after that I started to draw dolphins in my notebook all the time. The reason I want to learn more about them is that they are very intelligent animal. I read on the internet that dolphins can recognise themself in the mirror and that each dolphin has its own whistle, like a name. I find this really amazing and I want to know how scientists discovered this things. Also I am worried about them because of pollution and fishing nets. Many dolphins die because they get caught in the nets by accident. If I learn more, maybe I can tell my friends and family how to protect them. In the future I hope I can go on a boat trip and see dolphins in the wild with my own eyes. **Examiner notes.** This Band 6 answer is relevant and well paced, with interesting facts such as each dolphin having "its own whistle, like a name". It covers all four points, but the reasons are listed rather than developed, and the language is mostly general ("very excited", "really amazing"). Errors are regular but meaning stays clear: "which is called pods" breaks agreement, "Our teacher show us" misses the past tense, and "themself" and "this things" are incorrect forms. For Band 7, the speaker would need more topic-specific vocabulary, such as "endangered" or "bycatch", and more accurate grammar in longer sentences. ## Band 7 sample I'd like to talk about the snow leopard, which is one of the most elusive big cats in the world. Snow leopards live in the high mountains of Central and South Asia, in places like the Himalayas and parts of Mongolia, usually at altitudes of three thousand metres or more. They're perfectly adapted to that harsh environment: they have thick, smoky-grey fur, wide paws that work almost like snowshoes, and an incredibly long tail, which they wrap around themselves for warmth and use for balance on steep rocks. I first came across them a few years ago when I was trekking in Nepal with some friends. Our guide pointed out some tracks in the snow and told us they probably belonged to a snow leopard. We never actually saw one, of course, because they're notoriously hard to spot, but the idea that this animal had walked past us, maybe only a few hours earlier, really stuck with me. When I got home, I ended up watching every documentary about them that I could find. The reason I'd like to learn more is that, even now, scientists know surprisingly little about them. Because they live in such remote areas and are mostly active at dawn and dusk, much of what we know comes from camera traps rather than direct observation. I'm curious about how they survive in such a hostile environment and how they share their territory with local herders, since there's often conflict when they attack livestock. Honestly, I'd love to volunteer on a conservation project one day, so finding out more about them would be a good first step. **Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer combines factual description with a personal story, and the trekking anecdote makes the interest feel genuine. Topic vocabulary is accurate and fairly wide ("elusive", "camera traps", "herders", "livestock"), and complex sentences such as "Because they live in such remote areas... much of what we know comes from camera traps" are handled without error. For Band 8, the speaker would need to use vocabulary even more precisely and flexibly, including some natural idiom, and develop the final reason more fully instead of ending with a fairly predictable plan to volunteer. The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-wild-animal). ## Part 3 follow-up questions 1. Why do you think some people are fascinated by wild animals? 2. Should zoos still exist, or are they unfair to animals? 3. What can ordinary people do to protect endangered species? 4. Do children today learn enough about nature and wildlife? 5. Is it acceptable to use animals in scientific research? ## Common questions ### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be? You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words. ### Can I use these sample answers in my test? No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.