Nepal’s only zoo has opened a new “honeymoon suite” for its two one-horned rhinos in the hope of persuading the endangered pair to breed for the first time.
Kancha, 20, and 22-year-old Kanchi have lived together in captivity for most of their adult lives, but have never bred — something the zoo’s manager Sarita Jnawali attributes to the quality of their enclosure.
She hopes that their new, much larger home, which features mud rather than concrete floors and two large ponds for them to wallow in, will persuade them to finally start mating.
“As far as we can tell, Kancha and Kanchi have never mated,” Jnawali told AFP.
“Before, we didn’t have the proper facilities for the rhinos to breed, and we hope this new enclosure will help us to increase species numbers.”
Thousands of one-horned rhinos once roamed the plains of Nepal and northern India, but their numbers have dwindled in recent decades as they have fallen victim to poaching and human encroachment on their habitat.
The animal’s horn is highly valued as an aphrodisiac in China, and a single one can fetch as much as US$4,000 on the international black market.
Experts say Nepal’s rhino population fell dramatically during the 10-year Maoist rebellion that ended in 2006, as army guards stationed in wildlife reserves to deter poachers left to fight the rebels.
Only around 435 remain in Nepal, Jnawali said.(AFP)
尼泊爾境內唯一的動物園為園內一對瀕臨絕種的獨角犀牛打造全新「蜜月套房」，希望牠們能順利完成「初體驗」、繁衍後代。
二十歲的坎恰與二十二歲的坎奇成年後便同居生活，卻不曾繁衍過子嗣，動物園經理莎瑞塔•伊納瓦利認為這與欄舍品質脫不了干係。
她希望這個佔地寬敞許多的新家可以促成牠倆的好事。新欄舍捨棄水泥地，鋪上泥層，還有兩個可讓牠們盡情翻滾的大水池。
伊納瓦利向法新社表示：「就我們所知，坎恰和坎奇還不曾交配過。」
「在此之前，園內並沒有適合犀牛繁衍的場地，因此我們冀望這個新欄舍有助繁衍族群。」
尼泊爾和印度北部的平原區曾有數千頭獨角犀牛出沒，但近幾十年來，由於偷獵和人類侵占棲息地的影響，數量日漸減少。
犀牛角在中國被視為極珍貴的壯陽藥材，國際黑市價格一支就高達四千美元。
專家表示，尼泊爾毛派作亂的十年間（二００六年結束），犀牛數量銳減，因為駐守野生保育區防止盜獵的士兵都被調去對抗叛軍了。
伊納瓦利表示，尼泊爾境內的獨角犀牛僅剩四百三十五頭左右。
（法新社╱翻譯：林倩如）
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The Lemon Festival is a fun annual celebration in Menton, France. This festival began in 1934 and honors the region’s exceptional lemons. __1__ in February during the lemon season, the festival features beautiful floats and sculptures covered with dazzling lemons and oranges. These citrus creations are on display in the bright sunshine throughout the day, while at night, they are lit up and turn the town into a __2__ spectacle. The festival’s origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Menton was a major lemon producer. __3__, hotels would decorate their spaces with lemons and oranges
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There were 127,350 measles cases reported in Europe and Central Asia last year, double the number of cases reported the previous year and the highest number since 1997, an analysis by the WHO and UNICEF showed. Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico in the US are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and was considered eliminated from the US since 2000. In the US,
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