2007年VOA标准英语-Farmers Use Llamas to Protect Sheep

By Margaret Kennedy
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
30 August 2007
 

Sheep producers in the United States face a growing problem with coyotes -- the wild dogs native to America's southwest that in recent decades have extended their range eastward¹. Agricultural experts have come up with a cheap and effective way to discourage coyotes from attacking sheep and other small livestock². VOA's Margaret Kennedy has the story in  today's Searching for Solutions report.

Chewbacca, the llama, guards a flock of sheep

In Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, farmer Leo Tammi has several hundred sheep that his dogs help him control. But they are not always there in the pasture to help protect the flock, so Tammi uses another highly effective alternative method to cut down on losses to predators⁴ like coyotes.

His method is low tech, low maintenance and costs only a few hundred dollars. He has put a guard llama in with the sheep.  The llama is a member of the camel family native to the Andes region of South America.   Large llamas, like this one called Chewbacca, are highly effective guardians⁶ who do not need any training or special preparation.

Tammi says, "You wouldn't think they were doing anything, but they do. When anything enters the field they know about it. I think it's their innate⁷ curiosity and their willingness to confront almost anything that comes in their vicinity (that) is enough to deter⁸ a shy animal like a coyote. It's not at all unusual to see a llama in a field of sheep. But you're only going to see one llama. If you have two llamas, they'll hang out with one another, and pay no attention to the sheep and have no value to you at all."

A well-groomed llama being shown at a county fair

Llamas have become popular as a specialty⁹ animal in the United States. At the county fair in Charlottesville, Virginia, one breeder was showing off a magnificent, well-groomed specimen¹⁰. Some are kept as pets and others produce prized soft wool from their long coats. "It's highly sought after among the breeders these days."

Marian Bragg won a top prize for her young fleece llamas, but she also sells guard llamas. "The llamas I sell as guardians typically are 400 pounds or more [200 kilos]. You want a large animal because it's much more intimidating¹¹. You want something that's going to puff¹² its chest out when it senses a predator³ and who's going to say, 'I'm bigger than you are. You better go away or I'm going to have to do something about it'."

In many ways, a llama is just as defenseless as a sheep.  But llamas have a secret weapon. They "spit." An Internet video shows how a mad llama regurgitates and lets loose. It is fast and it is ugly.  Llamas may look funny but they know how to make their point.

Tammi says they are probably better as a guardian⁵ than meat for eating. "You don't see too many llama burgers in the meat case. Their highest value is their role as a guardian animal."

Llamas are not vicious, but unless acclimated¹³ to people at a very young age, they do not like being handled. 

Chewbacca seems to enjoy his role as master of the pasture. 

1 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

2 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

3 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

4 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

7 innate   

adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的

参考例句：

• You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
• Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

8 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

9 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

10 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

11 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

12 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

13 acclimated   

v.使适应新环境，使服水土服水土，适应( acclimate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The rice has been acclimated in this area. 水稻已能适应这一地区的环境。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Have you become acclimated to Taiwan yet? 你已适应台湾的环境了吗？ 来自辞典例句