VOA新闻杂志2022--肯尼亚森林羚羊的新希望

New Hope for Kenya’s Forest Antelope¹

An environmental group says a program to save one of Kenya's most famous animals has returned a group of mountain bongos to the wild.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, said disease, illegal hunting and forest loss have left fewer than 100 wild mountain bongos.

But last week, conservationists released five of the large creatures into the 3.1 square kilometer Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary² near Mount Kenya.

"The mountain bongo is one of Kenya's most important iconic animals," said Najib Balala. He is the country's minister of tourism and wildlife. He spoke³ after cutting the ribbon at the sanctuary's opening ceremony on Wednesday.

The bongo's release is the high point of a breeding and rewilding program that began in 2004.

Rewilding is a term that means planning the introduction of a rare animal back into the wild.

The goal is to have 50 to 70 bongos in the sanctuary by 2025, and 750 by 2050, the government says.

"This is like the first step in the recovery," said Isaac Lekolool, head of veterinary services at the Kenya Wildlife Service, or KWS.

Mountain bongos once moved in large numbers. But the few remaining animals live in forested areas around Kenya. Their bodies have thin, white stripes making them easy to recognize.

The IUCN said local people are hunting the animals including with dogs.

Robert Aruho is head of veterinary services at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, or MKWC. He said, "This species is being driven to extinction⁴ in the wild unless something is done quickly."

Extinction is a term that means the complete disappearance⁵ of a species.

Aruho added that MKWC has set up community conservation, education, and empowerment programs to bring attention to and help reduce the human threats to the animal.

MKWC has also involved local communities in planting over 35,000 local tree species around Mount Kenya to help the damaged forest.

To help maintain genetic⁶ health in the breeding program, approval has been given to import bongos from Europe and America, Aruho said.

Words in This Story

conservation – n. a careful preservation⁷ and protection of something such as animals or a natural place

sanctuary – n. a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter

iconic – adj. widely recognized and well-established

cut the ribbon – idiom to officially open a building or center

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

1 antelope   

n.羚羊；羚羊皮

参考例句：

• Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
• The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

2 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

5 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

6 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

7 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。