A thousand years ago Hong Kong was covered by a thick forest like the forests we now find in Malaysia and Thailand. As more and more 1 came to live in Hong Kong, these trees were cut down and burnt. Now there is no forest left, 2 there are still some areas covered in trees. We call these 3 . Elephants, tigers, monkeys and many other animals used to live in the 4 forests of Hong Kong, and there were even crocodiles in the 5 and along the coast. When people came to live 6 Hong Kong, the animals began to die out. Early farmers drained( 排干 )the valleys to 7 rice and to keep pigs and chickens. The 8 the trees and burnt them. They needed fires to keep themselves 9 in winter, to cook their food, and to keep away from 10 animals. Elephants quickly disappeared because there was not enough 11 for them. So did most of the wolves, leopards and tigers. Monkeys, squirrels and many other animals soon died out in the same way. You might think that there are 12 any animals in Hong Kong, except in the zoos. You might think that there cannot be any wild animals in such a 13 place, with so many cars and buildings. But there is 14 a good deal of countryside in Hong Kong and the New Territories( 新界 ), and there are still about thirty-six different kinds of animals living there. One of the most interesting of Hong Kong’s 15 is the barking( 吠叫 )deer. These are beautiful little creatures( 生物 )with a rich, brown coat and a white patch( 斑 )under the tail. They look like deer but they are much 16 . They are less than two feet high. The male barking deer has two small horns( 角 )but the female has none. They make a 17 rather like a dog barking. Barking deer live in thick shrub( 灌木 )country and are very good at#18##. They eat grass and shrubs, and go outside mainly in the very early morning and late afternoon and evening. This is when you are most likely to see one but you will need to be very quiet and to have very sharp 19 . In Hong Kong the barking deer has only one 20 —man. Although it is illegal( 非法的 ), people hunt and trap( 诱捕 )these harmless little animals. As a result, there are now not many left. There are a few on Hong Kong Island but hardly any in the New Territories.