AFriCA’s ElEphAnts ArE DiviDED BEtwEEn thE sAvAnnAhs oF EAstErn AnD southErnAFriCA AnD thE ForEsts oF CEntrAlAFriC
A、somE Biologists rECkon thE ForEst onEs-smAllEr, with shortEr, strAightEr tusks-mAy EvEn ConstitutE A DistinCt spECiEs.But not For long, At thE lAtEst rAtE oF poAChing. thE high priCE oF ivory is inCrEAsing thE inCEntivE to kill ElEphAnts EvErywhErE inAFriCA, AnD EspECiAlly in plACEs whErE thErE is virtuAlly no lAw.
thE lAtEst rEports suggEst thAt thE ForEst ElEphAnt populAtion is CollApsing on thE BACk oF risingChinEsE DEmAnD For ivory. somE ConsErvAtionists ArguE thAt A rECEnt DECision By thEConvEntion on intErnAtionAl trADE inEnDAngErED spECiEsCitEs) to AuCtion 108 tonnEs oF stoCkpilED ivory From southErnAFriCA mAy BE prompting morE poAChing in CEntrAl AnD EAstErnAFriCA, As CriminAls sEEk to mix illiCit ivory in with thE lEgitimAtE kin
D、But somE EConomists mAintAin thAt thE lEgitimAtE sAlE oF ivory lowErs priCEs, thus DECrEAsing thE inCEntivE to poACh.
A、stuDy oF A prEvious sAlE oF ivory suggEstED it DiD not lEAD to morE intEnsivE poAChing.
EithEr wAy, thECongo BAsin is " hEmorrhAging ElEphAnts ", sAys trAFFiC, whiCh monitors trADE in wilDliFE. thE hEAD oF thE 790,000-hECtArE (1,952,000-ACrE) virungA nAtionAl pArk in EAstErnCongo,EmmAnuEl DE mEroDE, rEports thAt 24 ElEphAnts hAvE BEEn poAChED in his pArk so FAr this yEAr. thE situAtion is DirE: 2,900 ElEphAnts roAmED virungA whEnCongo BECAmE inDEpEnDEnt in 1964,400 in 2006, AnD FEwEr thAn 200 toDAy. most hAvE BEEn poAChED By militiAs, pArtiCulArly hutu rEBEls From rwAnDA who hACk oFF thE ivory AnD sEll it to miDDlEmEn in kinshAsA,Congo’s CApitAl, who thEn smugglE it toChin
A、
onCE ivory hAs lEFt its Country oF origin, AnD iF it is not sEizED By Customs oFFiCiAls, it CAn BE hArD to iDEntiFy its sourCE AnD thosE rEsponsiBlE For ACquiring it.But ForEnsiC hElp mAy BE At hAn
D、sCiEntists From thE univErsity oF wAshington ArE using gEnEtiC mArkErs in ElEphAnt Dung to iDEntiFy ExACtly whErE ivory hAs BEEn poAChE
D、this shoulD hElp govErnmEnts in CountriEs suCh As tAnzAniA AnD zAmBiA, whiCh ArE CApABlE oF CAtChing poAChErs, But not in AnArChiC EAstErnCongo, whErE 120-oDD rAngErs hAvE BEEn killED in virungA in rECEnt yEArs trying to protECt ElEphAnts AnD gorillAs.
with An inFlux oF BusinEssmEn AnD othEr oFFiCiAls FromChinA EngAgED in inFrAstruCturE projECts suCh As roAD BuilDing AnD logging, thE slAughtEr is ExpECtED to ACCElErAtE. ForEst ElEphAnts mAy survivE in lArgE numBErs only in rEmotE protECtED poCkEts oF thECongo BAsin, suCh As thE oDzAlA-koukouA nAtionAl pArk inCongo-BrAzzAvillE AnD minkEBE nAtionAl pArk in northEAst gABon.
whAt DoEs "poAChing" mEAn (pArA 1, linE 4)
A、hunt or kill lEgAlly.
B．DiE in sErious Drought.
CAught For tAming.
D、hunt or kill illEgAlly.