74. Animals Face Danger Around the World

From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News. I’m Anna Matteo.And I’m Christopher Cruise.

Today on the program, we tell about¹ hundreds² of newly-identified³ plants and animals in Southeast⁴ Asia. We also⁵ report on the killing⁶ of a famous elephant in Kenya, and a new study that finds⁷ elephants can hear differences⁸ in human language. Finally, we report on efforts⁹ to protect North American polar bears¹⁰.

The World Wildlife¹¹ Fund for Nature says researchers found¹² nearly¹³ 400 new kinds of¹⁴ plants and animals in the Greater Mekong River area in 2012 and 2013. The WWF says researchers identified more than 2,000 other plants and animal species there during the past 17 years¹⁵. Some of the creatures¹⁶ were discovered in surprising places¹⁷.

Experts¹⁸ say a warbler¹⁹ was among²⁰ the newly-identified birds found in the Greater Mekong. The warbler seemingly²¹ hid for years²² in and around²³ the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Thomas Gray heads²⁴ the WWF-Greater Mekong Species Program. He says the Cambodian tailorbird²⁵ was the only²⁶ bird added²⁷ to the new species list in 2012 and 2013. He believes people study birds more than any other²⁸ creature on the planet. And he says that makes it even more unusual²⁹ to have found a new one.

Researchers are crediting Jodi Rowley with finding a large³⁰, bright³¹, green flying frog³². She says the discovery came as a surprise.

Ms. Rowley is with the Australian Museum Research Institute. At first³³, she did not recognize³⁴ that she had identified³⁵ a new species.

She thought³⁶ the flying frog was similar to³⁷ a frog that was already known³⁸ to scientists. But when she saw³⁹ the similar creature a year later, she understood⁴⁰ that the Vietnamese frog was something new⁴¹.

“Her” frogs -- the two she saw -- were 10 centimeters long⁴². Ms. Rowley says they have been found in only two places. Both⁴³ areas are surrounded by⁴⁴ rice crops⁴⁵ and other agriculture.

The Greater Mekong lies in⁴⁶ one of the world’s five most-threatened areas⁴⁷ for plant and animal species. Thomas Gray says development⁴⁸ is just one danger facing the creatures⁴⁹.

He says one of the newly-identified animals -- a giant⁵⁰ flying squirrel⁵¹ from Laos -- was found at a meat market⁵². He said that demonstrates another major threat⁵³ to the species from trade⁵⁴ in wild meat⁵⁵, bush meat⁵⁶ and other wildlife⁵⁷ products.

The WWF’s report also includes new species with unusual physical qualities⁵⁸ or characteristics. For example, the first eyeless huntsman spider⁵⁹ was found in Cambodia. From Vietnam, scientists identified a walking snakehead fish⁶⁰. It can survive⁶¹ for days on land⁶².

1. tell about = falamos sobre
2. hundreds = centenas
3. newly-identified = recém identificados
4. Southeast = sudeste
5. also = também
6. killing = matança
7. finds = descobre
8. hear differences = ouvir diferenças
9. efforts = esforços
10. polar bears = ursos polares
11. Wildlife = vida selvagem
12. researchers found = pesquisadores descobriram
13. nearly = quase
14. kinds of = tipos de
15. during the past 17 years = durante os ultimos 17 anos
16. creatures = criaturas
17. surprising places = lugares surpreendentes
18. Experts = especialistas
19. warbler = rouxinol
20. was among = estava entre
21. seemingly = aparentemente
22. hid for years = escondeu-se por anos
23. in and around = dentro e ao redor de
24. heads = chefia
25. tailorbird = "pássaro alfaiate"
26. the only = o unico
27. added = acrescentado
28. more than any other = mais do que qualquer outra
29. makes it even more unusual = torna isso ainda mais incomum
30. large = grande
31. bright = brilhante
32. Flying frog = sapo voador
33. At first = no inicio
34. recognize = reconhecer
35. had identified = tinha identificado
36. thought = achou
37. similar to = semelhante a
38. was already known = já era conhecido
39. saw = viu
40. understood = entendeu
41. was something new = era algo novo
42. long = comprimento
43. Both = ambos(as)
44. surrounded by = cercado por
45. rice crops = plantações de arroz
46. lies in = situa-se em
47. most-threatened areas = áreas mais ameaçadas
48. development = desenvolvimento
49. danger facing the creatures = perigo que as criaturas enfrentam
50. giant = gigante
51. squirrel = esquilo
52. meat market = Mercado de carnes
53. another major threat = uma outra grande ameaça
54. trade = comércio
55. wild meat = carne de animais selvagens
56. bush meat = carne de animais selvagens
57. wildlife = vida selvage
58. unusual physical qualities = qualidades físicas incomuns
59. eyeless huntsman spider = aranha do caçador sem olho
60. snakehead fish = peixe
61. survive = sobreviver
62. land = terra