VOA常速英语2007-West and Central African Primates Imperiled by H

By Kari Barber
Dakar
29 October 2007

A new World Conservation Union report says a large number of the world's endangered primates² are at risk of extinction³ in West and Central African countries. Experts say hunting for bushmeat is threatening the animals' survival in poor countries. Kari Barber has more from VOA's bureau in Dakar.

About a third of the world's monkeys, apes and other primates are nearing extinction according the World Conservation Union's newest report. Four of the most endangered species listed in the report live in West and Central Africa - an area of endemic poverty and instability.

World Conservation Union senior researcher Simon Stuart says some of the region's primate¹ population decline is a result of habitat destruction - often from logging. But, he says, the biggest threat to the monkeys and gorillas⁴ is poaching.

"The hunting pressure is extremely intense for any medium-sized to large mammal in the West Africa rain forest belt, extremely intense. So almost all species are going down very fast because of this," said Stuart.

Staurt says widespread poverty has led to an increase in poaching and trade in bushmeat.

"Animals are harvested from the rain forests and they are not now eaten locally, but are normally sold in the capital cities or in the capital cities of neighboring countries if higher prices are paid there," he added. "So this is now a fully⁵ commercialized trade."

Stuart says with the bushmeat market becoming more organized, more developed law enforcement measures are needed to crack down on sales - a challenge for poor countries with limited infrastructure⁶ and other development priorities.

"If you can poach a monkey and even if it is illegal the chances of getting caught are very low," said Stuart. "The chances of selling your dead monkey to somebody are very high, so you are going to do it."

Stuart says bushmeat may not be a reliable source of income for long. He says if trends continue, the region could run out of primates.

Research scientist with the German-based Max Planck Institute Peter Walsh has worked in conservation in countries across West and Central Africa.

He says political instability is also affecting primate populations. Many countries in West and Central Africa are recovering from civil wars, or are still embroiled⁷ in conflict.

"If there are mass movements of refugees then they tend to get into areas and hunt those areas out. On the other hand, sometimes to have surveillance ability helps because it prevents any kind of formal trafficking from going on," said Walsh.

Several rare mountain gorillas that live in war-torn rebel areas of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were shot this year, some execution style.

Walsh says even in politically stable countries where governments are making efforts to protect species, such as Ghana, they do not have the means to keep up with their decline.

"The problem now is that the rate at which they are making progress is much slower than the rate at which the animals are getting pushed toward extinction,"

Primates that made the highly endangered list included species of monkeys and apes from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Nigeria.

1 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

2 primates   

primate的复数

参考例句：

• Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
• Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

3 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。

4 gorillas   

n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
• Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 embroiled   

adj.卷入的；纠缠不清的

参考例句：

• He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours. 他与邻居们发生了争执。
• John and Peter were quarrelling, but Mary refused to get embroiled. 约翰和彼得在争吵，但玛丽不愿卷入。 来自《简明英汉词典》