Sharing rare wildlife photos may put endangered species at risk

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Safari tourists have been urged not to share their rare wildlife photos and selfies on social media.South African experts say poachers are using the geolocations on these photos to track and kill endangered animals like rhino and elephants.

Karen Trendler, who specializes in rhino conservation, says, “It's mind-blowing how sophisticated these poaching groups are. You'll find some poachers who have several social media profiles,just to track posts about endangered wildlife.”Trendler says tourists need to be aware of the impact their actions could have. “I'm not saying don't take that once in a lifetime picture, but if you do, switch off your geotagging (地理標記),don't say when and where and what time the photo was taken,” she said. “You never know what information you're unwittingly passing along to someone with nefarious intent.”

In Kruger National Park, arguably one of the world's most well-known safari destinations, officials are considering jamming phone signals to stop tourists from advertising the locations of the endangered creatures. “I think people would be shocked to know that their tips on sightings are being monitored by poachers,” Kruger National Park spokesperson Ike Phaahla told ABC News. “We are talking to experts to see what can be done to curb irresponsible behavior. Cutting off the signal might end up being the answer.”

More than half of the 8,000 rhinos poached in South Africa between 2008 and 2018 were killed in Kruger National Park and adjacent private reserves. Elephant poaching in the park, which is roughly the size of Belgium, surged to a high record in 2018, with 71 killed for their ivory. While the selfie culture is deemed to be one of the biggest enablers of poaching, it also results from several other unintended activities. In recent weeks, three antelopes were killed by speeding motorists. In November, a giraffe was killed when it was hit by a racing minibus. The speed limit on the park's 1,900-mile road network is up to 30 miles per hour, depending on the quality of the surface. Phaahla said, “People drive fast to get to the area thereby endangering themselves and the animals, then it gives intelligence to poaching groups if it is an animal that they intend poaching.”

閱讀檢測

1. It is unwise to share rare wildlife photos on social media because .

A. humans have no rights to do so

B. the photos may put the species in photos at risk

C. the photos are valuable and can be sold at a high price

D. the government will fine those sharing wildlife photos

2. What's the suggestion from Karen Trendler?

A. Keeping away from poachers on social media.

B. Thinking twice before putting selfies on social media.

C. Avoiding taking pictures of wildlife species when traveling.

D. Not showing information about the location of the wildlife photos.

3. What's the meaning of the underlined word “curb” in paragraph 3?

A. Imitate. B. Slow. C. Prevent. D. Protect.

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寫作推薦

Safari tourists have been urged not to share their rare wildlife photos and selfies on social media.野生動物園游客被要求不要在社交媒體上分享他們的珍稀野生動物照片和自拍照片。

【信息提取】be urged not to do sth意為“被要求不去做某事”。

【句式仿寫】員工被要求不能在辦公室吸煙。