Scientist tracks wild camels through space technology

2023-08-19山东孙启禄

疯狂英语·新悦读 2023年7期

山东孙启禄

在遥感科学家刘少创的办公室里，有一张他十年前蹲守在新疆戈壁滩上拍摄的野骆驼的巨幅照片。

1In the office of remote sensing scientist Liu Shaochuang, there is a huge photo of a wild camel he took a decade ago.He crouched(蹲)for hours by a pool of water in the Gobi Desert to take the photo.This is the subject of his research.

2Living in the harsh deserts in northwestern China and southwestern Mongolia, the wild camel is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.The population of this species is currently less than 1,000, of which around 650 are in China.

3Because wild Bactrian camels are fully migratory and can travel over long distances, scientists used to learn their habits by studying hoof (蹄) prints and droppings.It was hard to find one camel in the desert, let alone track it.But, Liu thought his expertise in satellite navigation and remote sensing might be useful in the study of wild camels.

4It was not easy at first.His team had to spend several weeks each year braving dust and sandstorms in the Gobi Desert seeking out camels.“The most thrilling moment was attaching (系上) trackers to the wild camels,”Liu recalls.On May 6, 2012, Liu's team, for the first time, succeeded in putting a satellite positioning collar on a wild camel in the Lop Nur Desert.

5The tracking collar, equipped with special receivers, weighs only a few hundred grams.It can detach (拆卸) automatically and will not have a negative influence on the daily lives of the animals.According to Liu, at least seven wild camels are currently fitted with tracking collars, and their locations are transmitted via satellites every day.Based on the tracking data, scientists can get to know their migratory paths, living environments and possible threats they may experience.

6Liu's latest discovery is that the suitable habitat range has shrunk greatly due to climate change, and that wild camels have moved to the colder Altun Mountain Range in China, and higher-altitude regions in Mongolia as a result.“They face more dangers,”Liu says.“For example, the narrowing habitats may lead to an increased chance of attacks by wolves,a reduction in drinking water and a higher risk of disease.”