Australian authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small town in Australia's Outback in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.
約6000頭野生駱駝為了找水，在澳洲人煙稀少的偏遠內陸地區一個小鎮橫衝直撞，踐踏踩垮圍籬，搗毀水槽並汙染日用品後，當局計畫用直升機把這些駱駝集中趕到一處加以槍殺。
The Northern Territory government announced its plan recently for Docker River, a town of 350 residents where thirsty camels have been arriving daily for weeks.
澳洲北領地政府最近宣布，在有350個鎮民的達克河小鎮執行這項計畫，因為乾渴的駱駝已接連好幾星期每天侵入這個小鎮。
“The community of Docker River is under siege by 6,000 marauding, wild camels,” local government minister Rob Knight said in Alice Springs, 500 kilometers northeast of Docker. “This is a very critical situation out there, it's very unusual and it needs urgent action.”
地方政府首長奈特在道克河鎮東北約500公里的愛麗絲泉說：「道克河鎮社區已經被6000頭四處蹂躪肆虐的野生駱駝攻陷包圍，當地處境十分危急，情況特殊，需要採取緊急行動。」
Protracted drought has brought what has been described as a 'biblical' camel plague into the Docker River township, leaving residents cowering in their homes. "This is a plague of biblical proportions laying waste to a sensitive and arid environment," said Luke Bowen, the head of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association.
長期乾旱引起的這場駱駝災難，使道克河小鎮有如人間地獄，當地居民躲在家中膽顫心驚。北領地牛農協會會長鮑文說：「這場災難有如聖經中提到的瘟疫，使乾燥貧瘠又容易受傷害的環境形同廢墟。」
The camels, which are not native to Australia but were introduced in the 1840s, have smashed water tanks, approached houses to try to take water from air conditioning units, and knocked down fencing at the small airport runway, Knight said. The carcasses of camels killed in stampedes at water storage areas are contaminating the water supply, he added.
奈特並說，這些駱駝並非澳洲本土動物，而是在1840年代引進，牠們跑到住宅區試圖喝空調系統排放的水，還撞倒小機場跑道的圍欄。他並稱，駱駝在儲水區蜂湧奔逃踩死的屍骸汙染水源。 The government plans to use helicopters to herd the camels about 15 kilometers outside of town, where they will be shot and their carcasses left to decay in the desert. “We don't have the luxury of time because the herd is getting bigger,” Knight said.
政府計畫在鎮外15公里處用直升機把駱駝趕到一起槍殺之後，屍體任其在沙漠中腐敗，奈特說：「我們沒時間再虛耗下去了，因為駱駝數目越來越多。」
It is common to see some camels in the remote community, but a continuing drought and an early heat wave have dried up other water sources and forced great numbers of them into town. Much of Australia is gripped by some of the worst drought conditions on record.
澳洲偏遠鄉鎮經常可見一些駱駝出沒，但連續乾旱及熱浪提早來襲，使水源區乾涸，迫使駱駝成群結隊闖入小鎮。澳洲大半地區均為有史以來少數最嚴重的乾旱情況所苦。
In August, the federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars for a program to slash the wild camel population, including a possible mass slaughter. Camels were first brought to Australia to help explorers travel through the desert, and now an estimated 1 million roam wild across the country.
八月間聯邦政府還撥款1900萬澳元，準備專案削減野生駱駝數目，集體屠殺駱駝也是可能的選項。當初澳洲引進駱駝是為了幫助探險家穿越沙漠，如今估計已有100萬頭駱駝在全國各地到處出沒。
Jan Ferguson of Desert Knowledge Research Centre said: “Well there's in excess of a million camels in Australia, wandering around various isolated outback locations and they are doing significant environmental and infrastructure damage. We estimate the infrastructure damage to be in the vicinity of US$13 million a year.” She says camels are quite choosy about what they eat, preferring bush fruits over plain grass. If the population is not radically diminished, its thought that the camels could permanently destroy Australias delicate desert ecosystem.
沙漠知識研究中心的珍．佛古森說：「澳洲多出一百萬頭駱駝，在偏遠內陸地帶到處游蕩，對環境和基礎建設均造成損失，我們估計，基礎建設每年損失1300萬美元左右。」她並指出，駱駝很挑食，比起普通青草，牠們更愛吃灌木漿果，駱駝數目如不大幅減少，咸認駱駝可能永遠傷害澳洲脆弱的沙漠生態系統。
Docker River residents were not especially concerned when about 30 camels came into the town looking for water a few weeks ago, said Graham Taylor, head of the local council. But their fears grew as more animals arrived day by day, as they tear apart bathrooms and rip up water pipes. He said many people were too frightened to leave their homes because of the big, strong animals, which can grow up to 210 centimeters tall and weigh 900 kilograms. “We need to get the risk and that threat away from the people,” Taylor said.
道克河鎮議會議長泰勒說，幾星期前，當30頭左右駱駝闖入鎮裡找水喝時，當地居民並未特別恐慌，但隨著駱駝每天出現，而且數目增加，還搗毀浴室，扯裂水管後，他們愈來愈恐懼。他說，很多人因為太驚恐而足不出戶，因為這些塊頭大又強壯的駱駝可以長到210公分高、900公斤重。泰勒說：「我們得幫民眾除害，免得他們冒任何風險。」
“I think the words 'under siege' are good words because it talks about people being stuck in their homes and looking out and seeing just numbers of camels at your front door. We have to have action, we have to have it now,” he said.
他並指出：「我想『遭到圍攻』是很適切的形容詞，因為這足以說明這些『御宅族』被困在屋裡，望出去只見無數駱駝守在門口。我們得採取行動，而且馬上採取行動才行。」
Glenys Oogjes, executive director of national advocacy group Animals Australia, said the plan to kill camels by helicopter was barbaric, and that the community could instead focus on setting up barriers to keep out the camels. “It's a terrible thing that people react to these events by shooting,” she said. “The real concern is the terrible distress and wounding when shot by helicopter. There will be terrible suffering.”
全國性權益組織「澳洲動物保護協會」執行會長格萊妮絲．歐基斯說，從直升機上射殺駱駝是項野蠻的計畫，社區可以把重點轉而放在架設屏障柵欄，使駱駝不得其門而入。她說：「人民以開槍射殺因應，是件很恐怖的事，真正令人關切的是從直升機上射殺所引起的極端痛苦和傷害，這些駱駝將會飽受磨難。」
The Australian government is preparing for a camel control program which is now in the planning stages. Cattle ranchers have long been at odds with the roaming camels, which are viewed as competition for grazing areas. About 25,000camels are killed each year in Australia, and much of the culling is carried out by marksmen in helicopters and on the ground. The long-term aim is to reduce the camel population by as much as two thirds.
澳洲政府正在草擬一項控制駱駝的計畫，目前仍在規畫階段。牧場主人長期以來一直對四處闖蕩的駱駝很感冒，因為牠們和牛爭牧草地。澳洲每年約殺死25,000頭駱駝，大半由直升機或地面上的神槍手進行屠殺。長程目標是減少三分之二駱駝。
It seems the camels, once indispensable in building the outback's infrastructure and delivering supplies, have overstayed their welcome. In this undated photo released by the Northern Territory government, camels are seen crowding around a drinking trough pushing horses out the way in MacDonnell Shire of the Northern Territory, Australia.
看來原本對建設澳洲內陸基礎設施和運送日用品不可或缺的駱駝，已經因為呆太久而不受歡迎了。在這張北領地政府所發布的照片中，可見北領地麥道威鎮的駱駝成群湧向一處水槽，馬則被擠到一旁乾瞪眼。（美聯社）