Use the sentences to answer the questions.

Tension exists between the ranchers who feel threatened by wolves and the conservationists who want to see wolves protected. Many ranchers want to remove federal protection for the gray wolves.
Which of the following describes what the word conservationists means in the first sentence?
a person who works for the government
a person who wants to preserve the environment and wildlife
a person who owns and sells animals
a person who hunts animals for food

a person who wants to preserve the environment and wildlife

The word conservationists in the first sentence means "a person who wants to preserve the environment and wildlife."

The word "conservationists" in the first sentence refers to individuals who want to preserve the environment and wildlife. To determine this, we can look at the context of the sentence, which mentions that the conservationists want to see wolves protected. Additionally, the word "conservation" itself implies the act of preserving and protecting something, in this case, the environment and wildlife.