Buying pet lions became a dangerous trend among the wealthy during the pandemic

Buying pet lions became a dangerous trend among the wealthy during the pandemic

　　Transcript¹

　　During the pandemic a trend in other countries caught on with wealthy Iraqis: buying lions for keeping at home.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　If you ever saw the TV series "Tiger King," a reality program of sorts set in the United States, you may relate to this problem in Iraq. In Iraq, private citizens are buying exotic animals to bring home to their families, which disturbs some Iraqis who care for animals. This practice has increased during the pandemic. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)

　　JASON BEAUBIEN, BYLINE²: In a street lined with pet shops in Baghdad, the sidewalks are blocked with cages holding cats, puppies, even a few monkeys. The more exotic animals are kept out back.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)

　　BEAUBIEN: Yeah, so there's was a 4-month-old tiger cub³ in a cage next to what looks to me like a hyena⁴ over there, a skunk⁵ all by itself, some dogs, there's some peacocks.

　　When the owner of this shop arrives, he says the pandemic was great for business, particularly the sale of lion and tiger cubs⁶. Each one, he says, can sell for thousands of dollars, but he refuses to talk on tape. He isn't so much concerned that selling these wild animals is illegal, which it is, rather, he says the last time he did a TV interview, people trashed him on social media for feeding pounds and pounds of meat to lions while many Iraqis struggle to get by. And there's also concern for the well-being⁷ of the animals. Up the street, Marwa Mohamed, a veterinarian, confirms that during the pandemic, Iraqis have been acquiring all kinds of new pets.

　　MARWA MOHAMED: People interest in animals in corona⁸ is more than before corona.

　　BEAUBIEN: Mostly, the boom has been in cats, dogs and birds, she says. But some people have been getting wild animals, including foxes and monkeys. And then there's the issue of the lions.

　　MOHAMED: The lion needs special care. The lion is dangerous, and there - maybe they're dangerous to the people in the house.

　　BEAUBIEN: Mohamed says she's had to treat two lions recently for diarrhea. Then a third was brought in because the owner wanted its claws removed. While there are a few animal welfare activists⁹ in Iraq, far more people find the exotic pets a novelty.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　AMAR MAHER: (Non-English language spoken).

　　BEAUBIEN: A YouTuber in Baghdad named Amar Maher (ph) got a young lion cub late last year. He posts videos of himself awkwardly carrying the squirming cub and trying to scare his friends and family with it.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　MAHER: (Non-English language spoken).

　　UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Shouting in non-English language).

　　BEAUBIEN: At the Baghdad Zoo, I show one of the YouTube videos to Haidar Malik (ph), the head veterinarian. The cub, Malek says, looks to be about 3 or 4 months old and is highly agitated¹⁰.

　　HAIDAR MALIK: This is very wrong. And it's strange for the animal. You see, it's nervous.

　　BEAUBIEN: Malik shakes his head and says the trend of people buying lion cubs as pets or to make YouTube videos is troublesome.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF LION GROWLING)

　　BEAUBIEN: The Baghdad Zoo has 26 African lions. Three of them used to belong to Saddam Hussein's son Uday. Lions, Malik says, are expensive to care for. Each adult consumes about 15 pounds of raw meat a day.

　　MALIK: Donkey meat - if there is no donkey meat, we gave them chicken meat.

　　BEAUBIEN: Malik also warns that the cute cubs being brought home as pets can grow to more than 500 pounds. Iraqis have revered¹¹ lions for a millennium¹². The mythical¹³ lion of Babylon that is said to have carried the goddess of love and war on his back is a national symbol. Malik stresses that lions are predators¹⁴, and they need a lot of open space.

　　MALIK: Please stay away from buying wild animals.

　　BEAUBIEN: And he says they definitely should not be kept in someone's apartment.

　　Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Baghdad.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

4 hyena   

n.土狼，鬣狗

参考例句：

• African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗，以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。
• The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。

5 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

6 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

8 corona   

n.日冕

参考例句：

• The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。
• The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

11 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

12 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

13 mythical   

adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的

参考例句：

• Undeniably,he is a man of mythical status.不可否认，他是一个神话般的人物。
• Their wealth is merely mythical.他们的财富完全是虚构的。

14 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》