VOA新闻杂志2022--澳大利亚将多地考拉列为濒危物种

Australia Lists Koalas as Endangered

Koalas were declared endangered Friday in eastern Australia. More koalas are dying from disease, lost habitat and other threats.

Earlier, koalas had been considered a vulnerable species.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley lowered their conservation status on the country's east coast in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The government's Threatened Species Scientific Committee recommended the change.

Many koalas in Australia suffer from chlamydia. The disease causes blindness, infections and infertility¹.

Last year, the Australian Koala Foundation said the country has lost about 30 percent of its koalas in the past three years. In 2020, a parliamentary investigation² warned the species might become extinct before 2050 without immediate³ help.

The number of koalas in Queensland has fallen by half since 2001 because of lack of water, fires and deforestation. Some are killed in attacks by dogs, or hit by cars.

"Koalas have gone from no-listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade. That is a shockingly fast decline," said Stuart Blanch⁴. He is a conservation scientist with the World Wildlife Fund-Australia.

Blanch added that koalas will go extinct if new laws are not passed to protect forests.

The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are less than 100,000 Koalas left in the wild. There may be as few as 43,000. Summer forest fires in 2019 and 2020 killed at least 6,400 of the animals. Rescue workers tried hard to save them and treat their injuries.

"There have been many pressures on the koala. The Black Summer fires, of course, was a tipping point. But we know the koala is vulnerable to climate change and to disease," Ley told reporters Friday.

Ley said the government is working to protect the animal. She said vaccines⁵ are being given to koalas to prevent and treat chlamydia, and drones are being used to study them and rebuild their habitat.

The government says that listing koalas as endangered will bring attention to them and help address threats. But conservation groups argue more has to be done to prevent their extinction⁶.

The Australian Koala Foundation has called for legislation to protect them and prevent land clearing and mining projects that are destroying their habitats. It says koalas are also in danger across Victoria and South Australia.

Changing their status to endangered does not really help, said Deborah Tabart. She is the head of the foundation.

"Behind all the photo opportunities and political rhetoric⁷ they (the federal government) continue to approve the destruction of koala habitat," she said.

Words in This Story

endangered — adj. used to describe a type of animal or plant that has become very rare and that could die out completely

habitat — n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows

vulnerable — adj. easily hurt or harmed physically⁸, mentally, or emotionally

conservation — n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

decline — n. the process of becoming worse in condition or quality

extinct — adj. no longer existing

tipping point — n. the point at which a series of small changes become a larger, more important change.

rhetoric — n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable

1 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 blanch   

v.漂白；使变白；使(植物)不见日光而变白

参考例句：

• We blanch almonds by soaking off their skins in boiling water.我们把杏仁泡在沸水中去皮弄成白色。
• To blanch involves plunging food into boiling water,usually very quickly.漂白是将食物放进开水里，通常非常快。

5 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

6 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。

7 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。