VOA科学技术2024--Wild Cat Is Back from Near Extinction

A species of wild cat in Europe that was almost extinct, or about to disappear, over 20 years ago has returned.

Last week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared that the Iberian lynx is no longer an endangered species. Native to Spain and Portugal, the wild cats are medium-sized with different shades of brown. They have pointed¹ ears and facial hair that looks like a beard.

In 2001, there were only 62 adult Iberian lynx. The low numbers led to emergency efforts to save the animals. Experts then helped bring males and females together for reproduction and started protection projects. Other efforts included restoring their natural environments, including dense² forests and grasslands³.

By 2023, the IUCN said its latest count shows more than 2,000 wild cats, including adults and younger ones.

"It's really (a) huge success, an exponential increase in the population size," Craig Hilton-Taylor told The Associated Press. He is head of the IUCN Red List. The Red List maintains information on animals and plants that face the risk of extinction⁴.

The Iberian lynx's disappearance⁵ was closely linked to that of its main food source -- the European rabbit. Other reasons are damage to its habitats and human activity.

One of the keys to their recovery has been the attention given to the rabbit population. The rabbits had been affected⁶ by changes in agricultural production. And their recovery has led to a continuous increase in the lynx population, Hilton-Taylor said.

Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz is with the European Union's LIFE Lynx-Connect project.

He called it "the greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation." Ortiz said it was the result of partnerships⁷ among public bodies, scientific communities, non-profit organizations, businesses, and people, like local landowners, farmers, gamekeepers and hunters.

IUCN has also worked with local communities to teach people about the importance of the Iberian lynx in nature. This has helped to reduce animal deaths due to accidents or illegal hunting. In addition, Hilton-Taylor said, farmers receive money if a lynx kills any of their animals.

Since 2010, more than 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain. Now, their habitat includes at least 3,320 square kilometers. This is an increase from 449 square kilometers in 2005.

"We have to consider every single thing before releasing a lynx, and every four years or so we revise the protocols," said Ramón Pérez de Ayala. He is the World Wildlife Fund's Spain species project manager. WWF is one of the organizations involved in the project.

While the latest Red List update offers hope for other species in the same situation, Hilton-Taylor warns that the lynx is not out of danger just yet. The biggest uncertainty⁹ is what will happen to rabbits. They are often affected by viruses and other diseases.

Hilton-Taylor said, "We also worried about issues with climate change, how the habitat will respond to climate change, especially the increasing impact of fires, as we've seen in the Mediterranean¹⁰ in the last year or two."

Words in This Story

species - n. a class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name

extinct - v. no longer existing

medium-sized - adj. neither large nor small

exponential - adj. characterized by or being an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent)

habitat - n. the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows

key - n. something that provides an explanation, solution, or means of identifying

protocol⁸ - n. a detailed¹¹ plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment, or procedure

impact - v. to have a strong effect on

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

3 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

5 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

8 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

9 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

10 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

11 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。