This is an undated image of Ankole cattle released by the Inter-national Livestock Research Insti-tute on Sept. 3, 2007. The Ankole cattle are mainly found in five countries of East and Central Africa, and are drought-resistant, known for their uncommon gentleness, beauty, rich milk and tasty meat, but the rapidly expanding human populations are forcing farmers to replace their indigenous African Ankole cattle with exotic breeds which produce much more milk.

這張安哥拉牛的照片，是由國際畜產試驗所於9月3日發布，拍攝日期不詳。安哥拉牛主要產地在東非和中非五國，具有抗旱及異常溫馴、美麗、產乳量多等特色。但因人口快速增加，迫使畜農以產乳量更高的外來品種取代非洲本土的安哥拉牛。

According to the report of U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, 16 percent of all 7,600 known breeds of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and other farm animal species are at risk.

根據聯合國糧食及農業組織的報告，在已知現有7,600種牛、豬、羊、雞、鴨和其他農場畜種中，有16%瀕臨危險。

Precious genetic material that could protect farm animals from future threats posed by disease and climate change might be lost unless action is taken to protect rare breeds from extinction, the U.N. organi-zation said Monday. The organi-zation urged countries to adopt a 10-year plan to save hundreds of indigenous varieties _ particularly in Asia and Africa. One measure to preserve the vital traits would be to establish national or regional gene banks, which could in future be used to reinsert useful characteristics into the herd when needed.

聯合國糧農組織說，可以保護農場動物免於未來疾病和氣候威脅的珍貴基因物質很可能流失，除非採取行動保護稀有物種免於滅絕。糧農組織並促各國採行10年計畫，以拯救數百種本土畜產，尤其是亞洲和非洲。保存這些畜產重要特色的做法之一，是建立全國性或地域性基因庫，未來有需要時。可以再把有用的基因特色注入這些畜群中。