VOA慢速英语2021 科学家利用大象粪便统计非洲大象的数量（在线收听）

Some African elephants live in grassy open areas called savannas.

一些非洲象生活在被称为热带稀树草原的开阔草地上。

Scientists can easily count the number of savanna elephants from an airplane because there are very few trees.

科学家可以很容易地从飞机上数出热带稀树草原上大象的数量，因为那里的树木非常少。

But other African elephants live in dense forests.

但其他非洲象生活在茂密的森林里。

Forest elephants are shy and especially hard to find.

森林象很胆小，特别难找到。

The Central African country of Gabon is home to two-thirds of all African forest elephants.

中部非洲国家加蓬是三分之二的非洲森林象的栖息地。

The forests in Gabon are extremely dense.

加蓬的森林非常茂密。

That makes it hard to know exactly how many forest elephants there are.

这使得科学家们很难确切地知道森林象的数量。

But scientists have found a new way to count them.

但是科学家们已经找到了一种新的方法来统计它们的数量。

They use evidence that the animals leave behind.

他们利用动物留下的证据。

In other words, they look for elephant waste.

换句话说，他们寻找大象的粪便。

Researchers collected waste samples over a period of three years.

研究人员在三年的时间里收集了粪便样本。

The researchers walked about 12 kilometers each day.

研究人员每天步行约12公里。

They looked for waste as well as other signs of elephants, including footprints and broken trees.

他们寻找粪便以及大象留下的其他迹象，包括脚印和被折断的树木。

They tested the waste samples for DNA.

他们检测了粪便样本中的DNA。

They learned that in Gabon, there are about 95,000 forest elephants.

他们了解到在加蓬大约有9.5万头森林象。

Earlier estimates were much lower, at 50,000 to 60,000.

早先估计的数值要比这个数值低得多。先前估计的数值为5万到6万。

Even with the new information, the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes the population of forest elephants in Central Africa has dropped sharply.

即使有了这些新信息，世界自然保护联盟认为中非森林象的数量已经在急剧下降了。

It estimates the numbers have decreased by 86 percent in the last 31 years.

据估计，在过去的31年里，森林象的数量下降了86%。

Forest elephants are threatened by land clearing and by hunters.

森林象受到土地开垦和狩猎者的威胁。

The researchers who worked on the new elephant count said the animals live throughout Gabon, covering 90 percent of the total surface area.

致力于研究新统计出的大象数量的研究人员表示，森林象生活在加蓬各地，其活动区域覆盖了加蓬总表面积的90%。

Almost 90 percent of the country is covered in forest.

该国近90%的地区被森林覆盖。

Emma Stokes is the area director for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

艾玛·斯托克斯是野生动物保护协会的地区主管。

She said Gabon is "very unique," or special, because elephants can be found in so much of the country.

她说，加蓬“非常独特（即特别）”，因为在这个国家的很多地方都可以找到大象。

During their counting efforts, the researchers looked for fresh waste.

在计数过程中，研究人员寻找新鲜的粪便。

Sometimes, they would find elephant waste that was too old to be used as evidence.

有时，他们会发现大象的粪便太陈旧了，不能作为证据。

When they found a sample, they put it in a small glass container.

当他们发现样本时，他们就把它放在一个小玻璃容器里。

They sent the containers to a laboratory in Libreville, Gabon’s capital.

他们把这些容器送到加蓬首都利伯维尔的一个实验室。

Scientists looked at about 2,500 samples.

科学家们研究了大约2500个样本。

The samples had to be processed first to remove impurities or organisms that could affect results.

样本必须首先进行处理，以去除可能影响结果的杂质或微生物。

Stephanie Bourgeois was one of the writers of a published study about the elephant count.

斯蒂芬妮·布尔乔亚是一项已发表的有关大象数量的研究的作者之一。

She said the DNA helped the scientists estimate how many different elephants lived in the area that the samples came from.

她说，DNA帮助科学家估计了有多少不同的大象生活在样本来自的地区。

It is the first elephant count in Gabon in 30 years.

这是加蓬30年来首次统计大象数量。

The last count only looked at 14 percent of the area in which elephants live.

上一次只统计了大象栖息地的14%。

John Poulsen is an ecologist at Duke University in the state of North Carolina.

约翰·普尔森是北卡罗来纳州杜克大学的生态学家。

He was not involved in the elephant research.

他没有参与这项大象研究。

He said the results of the count are "exciting" because the population estimate rose and because researchers proved a new way of counting elephants can work.

他说，计数的结果是“令人兴奋的”，因为估算的大象数量增加了，而且研究人员证明了一种统计大象数量的新方法是可行的。

A similar method is being used for tigers in India.

印度也在使用类似的方法统计老虎的数量。

Poulsen added, however, that Gabon's government now has a greater responsibility to keep the forest elephants safe.

然而，普尔森还说，加蓬政府现在有更大的责任来保护森林象的安全。

Lee White is Gabon's minister of water and forests.

李·怀特是加蓬的水利和林业部部长。

He said 65 to 70 percent of all African forest elephants live in Gabon.

他说，65%到70%的非洲森林象生活在加蓬。

He called it a "tragedy" that other Central African countries have not been able to save their elephants.

他称其他中非国家未能拯救他们的大象是一场“悲剧”。

He noted that the nations that have not been able to keep their elephants safe have suffered civil wars.

他指出，那些无法保护大象安全的国家遭受了内战。

At the recent United Nations climate change meeting held in Scotland, White said Gabon still has problems ahead.

最近在苏格兰举行的联合国气候变化大会上，怀特表示，加蓬未来仍然面临着问题。

He believes climate change has reduced the amount of fruit available in the country's forests.

他认为，气候变化减少了该国森林中可获得的水果数量。

Because of this, the elephants are seeking out food from farms.

正因为如此，大象现在都从农场里寻找食物。

This creates a conflict between people and elephants.

这就造成了人和大象之间的冲突。

About 10 people die each year from such conflicts.

每年约有10人死于此类冲突。

"It looks like climate change is starting to impact the forest," White said.

怀特说：“看起来气候变化开始影响森林了。”

"And that means the elephants are hungry."

“这意味着大象要开始面临饥饿了。”

I'm Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。