"The decline of the species may have progressed too far to be reversed. For centuries, farmers who wished to cultivate the rhino's habitat viewed the animals as crop-eating pests and shot them on sight; during the colonial period, hunters slaughtered thousands for their horns, as poachers still do today. The surviving Vietnamese herd has diminished to the point that it can no longer maintain the genetic variation necessary for long-term survival."

Why couldn't "A" also be the correct answer for question number 2?

Which of the following best expresses the author's attitude toward the likely fate of the Javan Rhino?

A .optimistic about the Indonesian rhino's long-term survival

B.resigned to the eventual extinction of the species

C.uncertain about the on-going impact of farmers and hunters

D.pessimistic about the species' chances for survival

E.ambivalent about the long-term outcome for the Javan rhinoceros

Correct answer : D

from the passage : ... The lack of human disturbance, however, allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation preferred by the animals. Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.

From these sentences, I choose A, as the author is optimistic that the conditions are favorable for Rhino population to grow.

Pls help.