​Kenya Moving Rhinos to New Home

Kenya Moving Rhinos to New Home

"肯尼亚将犀牛迁往新家园"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

　　By Dan Novak

　　27 January 2024

　　Kenya began its biggest rhino relocation project earlier this month. Workers began the difficult work of moving 21 of the endangered animals to a new home. They each weigh around one metric ton.

　　A previous attempt at moving rhinos in the East African nation was a disaster in 2018. All 11 of the animals died.

　　The latest project experienced early troubles. A rhino targeted for moving was successfully hit with a tranquilizer shot from a helicopter but ended up in a creek. Veterinarians and park rangers held the rhino's head above water with a rope to save it while a tranquilizer reversal drug took effect. It was then released.

　　Wildlife officials have said that the difficult project will take time, likely weeks.

　　The black rhinos are a mix of males and females. They are being moved from three conservation parks to the private Loisaba Conservancy in central Kenya, the Kenya Wildlife Service said. They are being moved because there are too many in the three parks. They need more space to roam and, hopefully, to breed.

　　Rhinos generally spend time alone and are at their happiest in large territories.

　　Kenya has had some success in saving its black rhino population. In the mid-1980s the rhino population fell below 300 because of poaching, raising fears that the animals might go extinct in a country famous for its wildlife.

　　Kenya now has nearly 1,000 black rhinos, says the wildlife service. That is the third biggest black rhino population in the world behind South Africa and Namibia.

　　There are just 6,487 wild rhinos left in the world, says rhino conservation group Save The Rhino. All live in Africa.

　　Kenyan officials say they have relocated more than 150 rhinos in the last 10 years or so.

　　Six years ago, Kenya moved 11 rhinos from the capital, Nairobi, to another sanctuary in the south of the country. All died soon after arriving at the sanctuary. Ten of them died from stress, lack of water and starvation, which was worsened by salt poisoning as they struggled with saltier water in their new home, investigations found. The other rhino was attacked by a lion.

　　Some of the 21 rhinos in the latest relocation are from Nairobi National Park. They will make a 300-kilometer trip in the back of a truck to Loisaba. Others will come from parks closer to Loisaba.

　　Loisaba was once home to a healthy black rhino population before they were wiped out in that area 50 years ago, said Loisaba Conservancy CEO Tom Silvester.

　　Kenyan wildlife officials say the country is aiming to grow its black rhino population to about 2,000. They believe 2,000 would be the best number considering the space available for them in national and private parks.

　　I'm Dan Novak.

　　Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

　　作者：Dan Novak

　　日期：2024年1月27日

　　肯尼亚在本月早些时候开始了其最大的犀牛搬迁项目。工作人员开始了将21头濒危动物搬迁到新家园的艰巨工作，每头犀牛的体重约为一吨。

　　2018年，东非国家肯尼亚尝试搬迁犀牛的行动以灾难告终，所有11头犀牛都死亡。

　　最新的项目在早期就遇到了困难。一头被选中搬迁的犀牛被直升机成功地用麻醉枪击中，但却落入了一条小溪。兽医和公园管理员用绳子将犀牛的头部抬高，以在麻醉逆转药物生效时保护它。然后，犀牛被释放。

　　野生动物官员表示，这个困难的项目需要时间，可能需要几周。

　　这些黑犀牛是雄性和雌性的混合。肯尼亚野生动物服务部门表示，它们正在从三个保护公园搬迁到位于肯尼亚中部的私人Loisaba保护区。它们被搬迁是因为这三个公园中的犀牛数量过多。它们需要更多的空间漫游，希望能够繁殖。

　　犀牛通常独自度过时间，在大型领地中最为快乐。

　　肯尼亚在拯救其黑犀牛种群方面取得了一些成功。在1980年代中期，由于偷猎，犀牛种群数量下降到300以下，引发了动物可能在这个以野生动物著名的国家灭绝的担忧。

　　肯尼亚现在有近1000头黑犀牛，野生动物服务部门说。这是世界上第三大的黑犀牛种群，仅次于南非和纳米比亚。

　　犀牛保护组织“拯救犀牛”表示，世界上只有6487头野生犀牛。所有的犀牛都生活在非洲。

　　肯尼亚官员表示，他们在过去的10年左右已经搬迁了150多头犀牛。

　　六年前，肯尼亚从首都内罗毕搬迁了11头犀牛到该国南部的另一个保护区。所有的犀牛在抵达保护区后不久就死亡。其中十头因压力、缺水和饥饿死亡，这些情况由于他们在新家中与咸水的斗争而加剧，调查发现。另一头犀牛被狮子攻击。

　　最新搬迁的21头犀牛中的一些来自内罗毕国家公园。他们将在卡车后面进行300公里的旅行到Loisaba。其他的将从离Loisaba更近的公园来。

　　Loisaba保护区首席执行官Tom Silvester表示，Loisaba曾经是一个健康的黑犀牛种群的家，但在50年前，它们在那个地区被消灭。

　　肯尼亚野生动物官员表示，该国的目标是将其黑犀牛种群增加到约2000头。他们认为，考虑到国家和私人公园为他们提供的空间，2000头是最好的数量。

　　我是Dan Novak。

　　Dan Novak根据美联社的报道为VOA学习英语改编了这个故事。

----------------------------------------------------------------------

　　这个故事中的词汇：

　　relocation — v. 移动到新的地方

　　endanger — v. 使处于危险的地方或情况

　　tranquilizer — n. 使人或动物变得非常放松和平静的药物

　　reverse — v.改变为相反的状态或条件

　　roam — v.没有特定目的或计划地去不同的地方

　　poach — v. 非法捕捉或杀死动物

　　extinct — adj.不再存在

　　sanctuary — n.一个人或事物受到保护或提供庇护的地方

　　stress — n. 导致强烈的担忧或焦虑的事物