[彭蒙惠英语] 新闻剪辑(1/3)
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Parasite puts more pandas at risk
A new natural enemy is preying upon China’s shrinking population of wild pandas, posing a “significant threat” to their survival, researchers say.
to near extinction by and decimated by starvation, China’s most beloved creatures are now also dying of a disease most likely caused by a roundworm called Baylisascaris Schroeder, which can infect the brain and other vital organs. “it’s the most significant cause of death in the last decade, and it seems to be increasing,” says study author Peter Daszak of the Consortium of Conservation Medicine.
Daszak says the parasite accounts for 50 percent of the known deaths over the last five years, and the percentage has risen since 1971. Researchers call the findings a reliable indication that pandas have a new . “The true mortality is likely to be higher,” Daszak says.
Because pandas are so rare, with just about 1600 in the wild, “any panda death is bad news,” he says.
Researchers believe the pandas’ infections may result from a steadily shrinking habitat, which puts the animals in closer contact. The parasite is transmitted through infected droppings. “ Crowd a bunch of pandas into a smaller and smaller habitat, the likelihood that they’ll this parasite will increase,” says co-author Marm Kilpatrick, also of the consortium.
William Karesh of the Wildlife conservation Society, who reviewed the study, says, “Nature has a system of balancing disease and health that helps regulate populations. Sadly, the effect you see from 20 years of habitat loss is that pandas are dying.”
The study was carried out by Chinese and U.S. researchers, led by Shuyi Zhang of Ease China Normal University in Shanghai. They tracked 789 panda deaths over 30 years. The findings will be published next month in a journal called EcoHealth.
Vocabulary Focus
Prey on (phr v) ---to have a harmful or destructive influence, especially on those who are weak or can easily be hurt
Decimate (n) ---to destroy a large number of something, or to reduce something severely
Carry out (phr v) ---to do or complete something
Specialized terms
Consortium (n)--- an organization of several businesses or banks joining together as a group of a shared purpose
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