VOA常速英语:不要让一切都变成记忆——还动物一个生存空间

The rangers lured the cheetah out into its new home with a fresh carcass.This is the first cheetah Malawi has had in the wild in two decades.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, but even that couldn’t protect the species in Malawi.Poachers killed off the cheetahs’ prey and ultimately the cheetahs themselves.

“They were last seen within Malawi about 20 years ago.And specifically in the Liwonde area, they have been absent for over a 100 years. So, as part of the rehabilitation of the park,we feel very, that it’s very important to bring back the cheetah to Malawi and Liwonde specifically.”

A total of four cheetahs – two males and two females – were airlifted to Liwonde from South Africa in May.

The cheetahs spent their first three weeks in this enclosure getting acclimated.

Liwonde National Park has a population of 12,000 large mammals.And these include bush buck, water buffalo and antelope.

The cheetah is the first large predator to be reintroduced to the park.

“We have a very healthy animal base and now that the protection measures are in place as we have got a very good law enforcement in the park.The numbers of animals are increasing very rapidly and, as a result to that,there’s more than enough animals to provide for some carnivorous animals such as the cheetah.”

Meanwhile, the officials are holding meetings with communities surrounding the park.

“Those people are likely to face dangers.And our message to the community is to say, can they refrain from entering the park and doing what they used to be doing because these animals definitely, they are dangerous, they can kill a human being.”

Park officials say they soon plan to also reintroduce leopards and lions to restore the park’s lost glory.

Lameck Masina, for VOA news, Liwonde, Malawi.