Zimbabwe Moves 2,500 Wild Animals Due to Climate Change
2022-09-03
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1In Zimbabwe, officials have begun moving more than 2,500 wild animals from the south to the north.
2This move is to rescue the animals from a severe lack of water caused by climate change.
3The lack of water, or drought, has now replaced illegal hunting, called poaching, as the biggest threat to wildlife.
4Among the animals being moved are about 400 elephants, 2,000 impalas, 70 giraffes, 50 buffaloes, 50 wildebeest, 50 zebras, 50 elands, 10 lions, and a pack of 10 wild dogs.
5Called "Project Rewild Zambezi," this is one of southern Africa's biggest live animal capture and relocation efforts.
6What does such a huge effort look like?
7A helicopter helps to round up thousands of impalas into a closed area.
8A mechanical device lifts medicated upside-down elephants into vehicles.
9Teams of rangers drive other animals into metal cages.
10Finally, a long line of trucks starts a journey of about 700 kilometers to take the animals to their new home.
11It is the first time in 60 years that Zimbabwe has had such a mass movement of wildlife inside its borders.
12Between 1958 and 1964, when the country was white-minority-ruled Rhodesia, more than 5,000 animals were moved in what was called "Operation Noah."
13That operation rescued wildlife from the rising water caused by building a large dam project on the Zambezi River.
14The dam created one of the world's largest man-made lakes, Lake Kariba.
15This time, the lack of water has made it necessary to move wildlife.
16Tinashe Farawo is a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
17He said the environment, or habitat, has become too dry from long periods of no rain.
18The park agency issued permits for the animals to be moved.
19He said this is to avoid "a disaster from happening."
20"For years we have fought poaching and just as we are winning that war, climate change has emerged as the biggest threat to our wildlife," Farawo told The Associated Press.
21He said, "Many of our parks are becoming overpopulated and there is little water or food.
22The animals end up destroying their own habitat...."
23They become a danger to themselves and to neighboring human areas as they look for food.
24The result, he said, is a constant "conflict."
25Another idea would be to reduce the number of animals.
26But conservation groups protest such killings.
27Farawo said that Zimbabwe last did this in 1987.
28The effects of climate change on wildlife are not only happening in Zimbabwe.
29Across Africa, national parks are increasingly threatened by below-average rainfall and new building projects.
30These parks are home to wildlife such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes.
31One of the new homes in Zimbabwe for the animals is Sapi Reserve.
32This privately-run reserve is east of Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
33It is known for its beautiful setting along the Zambezi River.
34I'm Anna Matteo.
1In Zimbabwe, officials have begun moving more than 2,500 wild animals from the south to the north. 2This move is to rescue the animals from a severe lack of water caused by climate change. The lack of water, or drought, has now replaced illegal hunting, called poaching, as the biggest threat to wildlife. 3Among the animals being moved are about 400 elephants, 2,000 impalas, 70 giraffes, 50 buffaloes, 50 wildebeest, 50 zebras, 50 elands, 10 lions, and a pack of 10 wild dogs. 4Called "Project Rewild Zambezi," this is one of southern Africa's biggest live animal capture and relocation efforts. 5What does such a huge effort look like? 6A helicopter helps to round up thousands of impalas into a closed area. A mechanical device lifts medicated upside-down elephants into vehicles. Teams of rangers drive other animals into metal cages. Finally, a long line of trucks starts a journey of about 700 kilometers to take the animals to their new home. 7It is the first time in 60 years that Zimbabwe has had such a mass movement of wildlife inside its borders. 8Between 1958 and 1964, when the country was white-minority-ruled Rhodesia, more than 5,000 animals were moved in what was called "Operation Noah." That operation rescued wildlife from the rising water caused by building a large dam project on the Zambezi River. The dam created one of the world's largest man-made lakes, Lake Kariba. 9This time, the lack of water has made it necessary to move wildlife. Tinashe Farawo is a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. He said the environment, or habitat, has become too dry from long periods of no rain. The park agency issued permits for the animals to be moved. He said this is to avoid "a disaster from happening." 10"For years we have fought poaching and just as we are winning that war, climate change has emerged as the biggest threat to our wildlife," Farawo told The Associated Press. 11He said, "Many of our parks are becoming overpopulated and there is little water or food. The animals end up destroying their own habitat...." They become a danger to themselves and to neighboring human areas as they look for food. The result, he said, is a constant "conflict." 12Another idea would be to reduce the number of animals. But conservation groups protest such killings. Farawo said that Zimbabwe last did this in 1987. 13The effects of climate change on wildlife are not only happening in Zimbabwe. Across Africa, national parks are increasingly threatened by below-average rainfall and new building projects. These parks are home to wildlife such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes. 14One of the new homes in Zimbabwe for the animals is Sapi Reserve. This privately-run reserve is east of Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for its beautiful setting along the Zambezi River. 15I'm Anna Matteo. 16Farai Mutsaka reported this story from Harare, Zimbabwe. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17_________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19relocation - n. to locate again : establish or lay out in a new place 20ranger - n. a person in charge of managing and protecting part of a public forest 21journey - n. an act or instance of traveling from one place to another 22emerge - v. to rise from an obscure or inferior position or condition 23conservancy - n. an organization or area designated to conserve and protect natural resources 24reserve - n. an area of land set apart : a nature reserve 25_________________________________________________________________ 26We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expression in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 27We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 28Write your comment in the box. 29Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. 30Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with "D" on it. It is free. 31Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.