奇速英语

濒临灭绝的肯尼亚野生紫羚羊迎来了新希望

An environmental group says a program to save one of Kenya’s most famous animals has returned a group of mountain bongos(紫羚羊) to the wild, the 3.1 square kilometer Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary(保护区) near Mount Kenya.

The bongo’s release is the high point of a breeding(繁殖) and rewilding program that began in 2004. Rewilding means planning the introduction of a rare animal back into the wild. The program aims to have 50-70 fully rewilded bongos in the sanctuary by 2025, and 750 by 2050, according to the government. “This is like the first step in the recovery,” said Isaac Lekolool, head of veterinary(兽医的) services at the Kenya Wildlife Service, or KWS.

Mountain bongos once roamed widely in large numbers. However, a combination of disease, illegal hunting and loss of forest habitat from illegal logging and agriculture have left fewer than 100 mountain bongos in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “The mountain bongo is one of Kenya’s most important iconic animals,” said Najib Balala, minister of tourism and wildlife, after cutting the ribbon at the sanctuary’s opening ceremony on Wednesday. The few remaining animals live in forested areas around Kenya now. Their bodies have thin, white stripes, making them easy to recognize.

Among the threats, the IUCN says there has been an increase in hunting of mountain bongos by local people, including hunting with dogs. “This species is being driven to extinction in the wild unless something is done quickly.” Said Robert Aruho, head of veterinary services at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC), a charity. MKWC has set up community conservation, education, and empowerment programs to raise awareness and help reduce human threats to the animal. To help maintain genetic diversity in the breeding program, approval has been given to import bongos from Europe and America, Aruho said.