Due to poaching and increased cultivation in their native

Question

Due to poaching and increased cultivation in their native habitats, researchers have determined that there are fewer than 100 Arabian leopards left in the wild, and that these leopards are thus many times as rare as  China's giant pandas.

The answer is the following:

Researchers have determined that, because of poaching & increased cultivation in their native habitats, there are fewer than 100 Arabian leopards left in the wild, and that these leopards are thus many times more rare than
..

Doesn't the "their" in the ans mean the researchers? I don't see why the original sentence is incorrect.

vivek123 · Answer

This is modifier problem, in the original sentence, "their" modofies the researchers, but in the answer "their" modifies leopards.

I suggest you to read about "modifiers". This is very popular SC trap.

rnachloo · Answer

Can someone please explain this. 

I don't understand how "their" refers to leopards and not the researchers.

Your help is very much appreciated.

Thanks

AK · Answer

Due to poaching and increased cultivation in their native habitats ,  researchers  have determined that there are fewer than 100 Arabian leopards left in the wild, and that these leopards are thus many times as rare as China's giant pandas. 

Blue -> modifier modifier is immediately followed by researchers, so this modifier is talking about researchers.


Researchers have determined that,  because of poaching & increased cultivation in their native habitats , there are fewer than 100  Arabian leopards  left in the wild, and that these leopards are thus many times more rare than ..

Here the modifier is followed by Arabian leopards

Due to poaching and increased cultivation in their native

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