VOA常速英语2007-Captive Breeding Program a Boost to Ailing Tasma

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
23 October 2007

Australian researchers are teaming up with zoos and wildlife parks around the world in a bid to save the Tasmanian devil. It is the largest carnivorous marsupial¹ and is being devastated² by a mysterious facial tumor³. This has wiped out about half the Devil population in the past decade and there are fears the species could be extinct within 30 years. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports for VOA.

The cantankerous⁴ Tasmanian devil was given its name by early European settlers.

The size of a small dog, this carnivorous marsupial can look and sound exceptionally fierce. But despite the appearance of strength and aggression⁵, the devil population in Tasmania is in real trouble.

Tasmanian devil pictured with a cancerous growth on its face (File)

A cancer that eats away at the mouth and face has in some parts of the island killed more than 90 percent of adults. It is thought the disease is spread when the animals bite each other when they are mating or fighting.

There is no cure for the facial tumors.

Scientists are now trying to preserve the species by sending healthy animals to zoos and sanctuaries⁶ on the Australian mainland. Wildlife parks in the United States and Europe will also take part in an international rescue mission.

Professor Hamish McCallum from the University of Tasmania describes the project as an "insurance policy" but says that efforts to sustain devils in the wild must also continue.

"If the worst came to the worst - if the Devils become extinct on the mainland of Tasmania which on current indications is possible in the time frame of 30 years - then … we should be able to re-introduce them. In my firm opinion a captive population on its own is not sufficient," he said. "We need to be trying to maintain free-ranging populations as well."

There are also plans to introduce these nocturnal marsupials to disease-free islands off Tasmania.

Breeding in captivity⁷ is not easy, which makes the recent birth of four devils at a wildlife sanctuary⁸ in Queensland so significant.

They were the size of a grain of rice at birth and were the first babies to be produced under the captive breeding program.

Experts estimate that there could be as few as 20,000 devils left in the wilds of Tasmania.

1 marsupial   

adj.有袋的，袋状的

参考例句：

• Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
• The marsupial has been in decline for decades due to urban sprawl from car accidentsdog attacks.这种有袋动物其数量在过去几十年间逐渐减少,主要原因是城市的扩张、车祸和狗的袭击。

2 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

3 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

4 cantankerous   

adj.爱争吵的，脾气不好的

参考例句：

• He met a crabbed,cantankerous director.他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。
• The cantankerous bus driver rouse on the children for singing.那个坏脾气的公共汽车司机因为孩子们唱歌而骂他们。

5 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

6 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

7 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

8 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。