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Pandas still under threat of extinction
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大熊猫仍濒临灭绝
GLAND, Switzerland (AP) — The giant panda — a symbol for endangered species (1) across the planet — is still facing extinction because its mountain forest home is disappearing, the World Wildlife Fund (2) said Thursday.
In a report to mark the WWF's 40th anniversary, the organization said loss of suitable habitat in China's Sichuan province was the major threat to the survival of the panda, which has a wild population of about 1,000.
"The only hope for the future of the giant panda is to balance the needs of humans and the needs of the panda," report co-author Elizabeth Kemf said.
"Giant pandas need vast areas of temperate mountain forests with lots of bamboo; people living in the vicinity(3) of the animals need secure sources of income and better livelihoods," she said.
The 24-page report said it is simply not true that pandas were endangered because of an inability to breed easily (4).
A 1999 survey in one county in Sichuan province showed that the panda's habitat (5) had shrunk by 30% in 12 years as forest areas were cleared for logging and agriculture.
WWF, the first non-governmental organization allowed in China in 1980, is carrying out a "panda census" in conjunction with Chinese authorities and is supporting plans for a giant panda management plan in Sichuan.
"Protecting a 'flagship' (6) species such as the giant panda benefits more than the single species itself," the report said. "Conservation of this animal and its habitat provides protection for the whole community of wildlife that coexists with pandas, thus maintaining their entire ecosystem."
Notes:
1.濒危物种.
2.世界野生动物基金会.
3.周围地区.
4. inability to breed easily:指大熊猫繁殖不容易.
5.生活习性.
6.头号的,此处指非常重要的.
USA Today
February 15, 2001
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