CHINADAILY—In 2011, scientists moved eight Rothschild's giraffes to Longicharo Island. They hoped it would save the endangered animals from hunters and allow their numbers to increase. However, the large amount of rain in August 2020 caused the lake water level to rise, cutting the area off from the mainland and reducing the once 100-acre habitat to about 8 acres, which made it necessary to relocate（转移）the animals to a safer habitat.
In December 2020, the rescuers teamed up with UK -based non-profit organization Save Giraffes Now to construct a barge（驳船）, which is designed and built specifically to carry tall, heavy giraffes. It floats atop a series of empty drums with its sides made higher to keep the animals from jumping out as the barge was gently pulled by boats.
Their first giraffe to be saved was Asiwa, who was trapped alone with no food sources. However, making the gentle giant get on the barge was not easy. The giraffes don't know that you're trying to help them," O'Connor, president of Save Giraffes Now, says. "They think you'll hurt them. So they're really trying to work against you, which makes it even harder."
After several attempts to lead Asiwa on board the barge with treats failed, the scientists had no choice but to sedate（注射镇定剂）her. While it's often used to transport large animals, it is not the preferred method for giraffes since the change in blood pressure could damage their brains.
To prevent any accidents, the rescuers gave the giraffe a light sedative and then quickly guided her onto the barge. To ensure Asiwa would not frighten, they covered her head with a hood and put socks in her ears to block out sound. "The wonderful part was watching her gently walk off the boat once the hood was removed as if nothing had happened," said photographer Ami Vitale.
Weather permitting, the rescuers hope to relocate the island's remaining seven giraffes by March 2021 to the 44, 000-acre Ruko Community Wildlife Conservancy. Once we rescue them, that's not the end of it," O'Connor says. "That's actually just the beginning of trying to repopulate the entire Western Rift Valley with this type of giraffe, where they became locally extinct 70 years ago."
【小题1】What might directly cause the relocating of the giraffes?| A．A heavy rain. | B．The killing from hunters. |
| C．A smaller habitat. | D．The construction of a barge. |
| A．A sedative would frighten giraffes. |
| B．It took efforts to relocate Asiwa. |
| C．Asiwa readily followed the rescuers' orders. |
| D．The rescuers managed to save all the giraffes. |
| A．Rothschild's giraffes lost their habitat. |
| B．Why it was difficult to transport the giraffes. |
| C．Rescuers moved Rothschild's giraffes to safety. |
| D．How the rescuers got the giraffe onto the barge. |
| A．A news story. | B．A research report. |
| C．A biology book. | D．A pet magazine. |
