VOA慢速英語: 在津巴布韋為更好的保護獅子而努力
Conservationists are breeding lions in the Southern African nation ofZimbabwe. The wildlife experts hope to increase the lion population to keepthe great cats from disappearing.
In some areas, lions and human beings are competing for control of land.Researchers believe something must be done quickly to save the animals.
Today we take you to the Antelope Park Farm in Gweru, Zimbabwe. The mainbusiness here is lion breeding.
The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust has more than 100 lionsin its breeding program. The trust is known by the name ALERT.
Gary Jones heads the Antelope Park Farm. He says ALERT has becomeinvolved because of a sharp drop in the number of lions. His group believesthis has been caused mostly by humans. There are more people moving to this area every year. The lions have less land on which to live.
“The wild population of lion has plummeted from about 250 to 260,000, 30 to 35 years ago to a current estimate ranging between 18 and 30 or 32,000. Soyou can see the numbers have declined horribly. It comes through humanpopulation growth. So the future for the lion is looking very bleak at themoment as humans encroach into their natural environment as our populationexpands.”
Antelope Park Farm is one of two sites ALERT operates in Zimbabwe.Another area is in Zambia. Gary Jones says the decrease in the lionpopulation affects the whole environment. He adds that other African nationsare also seeing the disastrous effects of this.
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An African lion, seen here in an April 8, 2014 file photo. |
“There are countries, particularly in central and North Africa, where the lionpopulation has reached a critical level. Burundi, for instance, do not have lionswhatsoever in their national parks. They are very, very desperate to have lionsreintroduced back into their national parks because (when) you take the apexpredator (lion) out of the equation, and suddenly you get all funny thingshappening with the balance of nature. You get overstocking of these preyspecies. You get disease coming through into these populations of preyspecies. That is exactly what is happening in Burundi.”
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization says wild animals arethreatened when farmers try to protect their plants or animals.
Rene Czudek works for the UN agency. Mr. Czudek is the FAO officialresponsible for wildlife and forestry in southern Africa. He says hisorganization has come up with a human-wildlife tool kit that some countriesare using to reduce conflict between humans and wildlife.
“So then we are trying to explain to the people what is the behavior of lions,how do they act. So it is a kind of, you know, building capacity of people toassess the situation, land use planning, not to put their fields just on pathwayof elephants or a corridor. In fact, the human-wildlife tool kit is a kind ofinstrument that extension workers can use with the communities -- explain tothem the behavior of wildlife, … then show them what are the risky behaviors,how they should, you know, plan for their fields.”
By providing information, the FAO hopes the conflict between humans andwildlife can be reduced, and that the threatened species can grow again.
I’m Jim Tedder.
This report was based on a story from Sebastian Mhofu in Gweru, Zimbabwe.Jim Tedder adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
breeding - v. sexually reproducing animals or plants
population - n. all the people, animals or things in a place, city or country
drop - n. the process of decreasing; reduction
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