BreakingNews·190612 - 用于與殺死烏龜?shù)臑貘f戰(zhàn)斗的無人機

High-tech drones are flying to the defence of tortoises in California's Mojave Desert. The desert tortoises in the western Mojave are under threat of being wiped out by ravens. The raven is a larger version of the crow. Its population in the Mojave has increased by more than 700 per cent in the past 25 years and this is having a catastrophic impact on the desert tortoises. Allison Fedrick, a local conservationist, observed that in some places, "where there used to be 10 ravens, there are now 15,000". Ms Fedrick noted that if nothing was done to help the tortoises, they would be completely wiped out. Their numbers have plummeted by more than 90 per cent since 1990.

高科技無人機正飛往加利福尼亞州莫哈韋沙漠保護烏龜。莫哈韋西部的沙漠龜正面臨著被烏鴉滅絕的威脅。這種烏鴉是加大版的烏鴉。在過去25年里，它在莫哈韋的數(shù)量增長了700%以上，這對沙漠龜類造成了災(zāi)難性的影響。當(dāng)?shù)丨h(huán)保人士Allison Fedrick觀察到，在一些地方，“過去有10只烏鴉的地方，現(xiàn)在有15000只”。Fedrick女士指出，如果不采取任何措施來幫助這些烏龜，它們將被徹底消滅。自1990年以來，他們的數(shù)量下降了90%以上。

Technology is coming to the rescue of the tortoises. A team of biologists and drone operators has come up with a strategy to reduce the raven population. They are using drones and the use of the method of "egg oiling". This involves flying drones up to the ravens' nests, removing fertilized eggs, coating them with a film of corn oil, and then replacing them. The oil blocks oxygen from entering the egg, effectively ending the life of the embryo inside. Biologist Mercy Vaughn said: "If ravens figure out that their eggs are rotten, they are likely to eat them and nest someplace else." Conservationist John Griffin said oiling was justified as "part of a comprehensive approach that...addresses all other factors".

科技正在拯救這些烏龜。一個由生物學(xué)家和無人機操作員組成的團隊提出了減少烏鴉數(shù)量的策略。他們使用無人機和“鳥蛋加油”的方法。這包括無人機飛到烏鴉的巢穴，取出受精卵，給它們涂上一層玉米油，再放回去。這種油阻止氧氣進入卵子，有效地終止了卵子內(nèi)胚胎的生命。生物學(xué)家默茜·沃恩說:“如果烏鴉發(fā)現(xiàn)它們的蛋腐爛了，它們很可能會把蛋吃掉，然后到別的地方筑巢。”自然資源保護主義者約翰·格里芬(John Griffin)表示，涂油是“解決所有其他因素的綜合方法的一部分”。