Experts: Southwest China’s Wild Elephants Need Protection

Experts: Southwest China’s Wild Elephants Need Protection

A female¹ elephant makes a rare appearance on the edge of a thick forest in southwest China's Yunnan Province. She eats and cleans up in the water as a large crowd gathers.

Usually, visitors hoping to see the animals should wait until February or March, Qin Ganglin said, adding that the elephants "don't come out very often right now."

Qin is a protection officer at Wild Elephant Valley in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna area. It is near China's border with Laos and Myanmar.

How Xishuangbanna protects its elephants and natural environment will be important for China's efforts to change its relationship with nature.

Xishuangbanna is a center for biodiversity. But large building projects and increased farming have reduced the elephants' feeding area and their roaming³ paths.

One building project is the Jinghong Hydropower Plant.

The dam and reservoir⁴ have made the Mekong River impossible for elephants to cross, said Zhou Jinfeng.

He is Secretary-General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation⁵ or CBCGDF, a non-government environmental group.

State power company Huaneng, which built the plant, did not answer requests from Reuters for comment.

People living in Xishuangbanna told Reuters that elephant sightings have decreased since 2007, when the plant was completed.

Zhou Hongbing lives on a farm close to the dam.

"They used to roam² here when my parents set up home," he said about the elephants. "Since the hydropower plant was built they haven't been able to cross the river."

Qin from Wild Elephant Valley said it was "hard to say" what effect the hydropower center has had on elephant movements. But, he said it must have been a consideration when the plant was built.

Qin noted⁶ that tea farms have cut into some parts of the elephant protection area. Large amounts of rubber planting throughout the area have also changed feeding and roaming habits.

Experts also point to Xishuangbanna's efforts to replant forests that have reduced the grassland⁷ where elephants eat.

China's National Forestry⁸ and Grassland Commission⁹ is responsible for habitat protection. It also did not answer Reuters' requests for comment.

But state news agency¹⁰ Xinhua said that "preparatory work" has begun to establish a national park in Yunnan. The goal is to improve conditions for the elephants.

Experts say that should have been done a long time ago.

Zhou of CBCGDF said any new national park would have to connect all the existing elephant habitats. It would need to give elephants the room to move and the ability to find enough food.

"If the numbers double again within the next 50 years, we need to have plenty of room in Yunnan," he said.

Words in This Story

biodiversity – n. the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment

reservoir – n. a usually artificial¹¹ lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, in businesses, etc.

roam – v . to go to different places without having a particular purpose or plan

habitat – n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally¹² lives or grows

double –v. to increase by two times

plenty –n. the state of having enough of something

1 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

2 roam   

vi.漫游，闲逛，徜徉

参考例句：

• He used to roam the streets for hours on end.他过去常逛大街，一逛就是几个小时。
• I like to roam about over the countryside.我喜欢在乡间走一走。

3 roaming   

随便走( roam的现在分词 )； 漫步； 眼睛或手 （缓慢地）扫遍； 摸遍

参考例句：

• After roaming around nearly half his life,he finally settled down in Canada. 他过了半辈子的流浪生活，最后在加拿大定居了下来。
• After roaming around nearly half his life,he finally settled down in Quebec. 他过了半辈子的流浪生活，最后在魁北克定居了下来。

4 reservoir   

n.水库，蓄水池；(人才等的)储藏，汇集

参考例句：

• The town is supplied with water from a reservoir.该城镇由小山中的一座水库供水。
• A large quantity of water is stored in the reservoir.水库存了大量的水。

5 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

6 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。

7 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

8 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

9 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

10 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

11 artificial   

adj.人工的，人造的，人为的；做作的，假装的

参考例句：

• The new dam will form a large artificial lake behind it.新筑的水坝将会在后面形成一个人工湖。
• We don't use any artificial flavourings in our products.我们的产品不使用任何人工调味剂。

12 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。