VOA慢速英语2020--新冠病毒危及雪豹的保护工作

Snow Leopard¹ Conservation Efforts Endangered by COVID-19

Wild animal experts say increasing reports of snow leopard sightings in Pakistan show that conservation efforts there are working.

But the COVID-19 crisis is threatening the success of the effort in the northern mountains. The nonprofit Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization (BWCDO) has worked for more than 20 years to save the endangered cats. The BWCDO partners with several American charities on the effort.

About 8,000 snow leopards² are believed to exist in the wild. Fewer than 400 of them live in Pakistan, mostly in the Gilgit-Baltistan area. The BWCDO is working with the local population to help protect the species, including setting up insurance systems to pay farmers whose animals are attacked by snow leopards.

Ghulam Muhammad leads the organization. He says it is working with the United States-based Iqra Fund on conservation education programs for Gilgit-Baltistan communities.

But the new coronavirus pandemic has affected³ financial support for these projects. Ghulam Muhammad said this may be harmful to the snow leopard conservation campaign.

Last month, BWCDO and The White Lion Foundation (TWLF) of Britain released a video of the call of a wild snow leopard in Pakistan's Karakoram mountains.

John Knight⁴ from TWLF said, "The adult male is exercising his vocal⁵ calls to establish territory and to let females know he is in the area."

Knight added that the video is "extremely unusual" because snow leopards are naturally private creatures. They only come together to mate and raise their young.

Ghulam Muhammad said the video was recorded in February by cameras set up to observe the wild snow leopard population in the area. His team reported seeing a mother cat and her two young the following month.

The BWCDO leader said, "A mother and two cubs⁶, especially so late in the season, tells us that snow leopard numbers are growing and that our method of creating a means for local communities to benefit from conservation are at the very least promising⁷, and at best, successful."

BWCDO is helping⁸ villagers build secure barriers to reduce snow leopard attacks. The organization also provides farm animal vaccination⁹ programs to reduce loss.

Researchers say the BWCDO's work has helped protect and conserve¹⁰ a population of large wild goats called markhors. They also live in the high mountains of northern Pakistan.

Snow leopards hunt markhors. If there are enough markhors, the big cats will be less likely to kill farm animals for food.

The U.S.-based Snow Leopard Conservancy also has been an important financial supporter of the BWCDO. Current projects are supported through the end of this year. But, Ghulam Muhammad noted¹¹, no one knows what might happen with financial needs after 2020.

An estimated 3,650 snow leopards were killed over the last 10 years. In many cases the killers¹² were illegal hunters involved in the trade of animal skins and other body parts. However, The White Lion Foundation says more than half were killed in answer to snow leopard attacks on farm animals.

Words in This Story

benefit – v. to be useful or profitable to

insurance – n. an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person is injured or dies, or to pay money equal to the value of something such as a house or car if it is damaged, lost, or stolen

means – n. something that helps a person to get what he or she wants

vocal – adj. of, relating to, or produced by the voice

1 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

2 leopards   

n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移

参考例句：

• Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如，飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分（初三）

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

5 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

6 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

10 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。