[ti:Indonesia Races to Protect Endangered Gibbons in Java] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Indonesian officials are seeking to protect [00:04.68]a small environment on Java island [00:08.84]that is home to an endangered population of gibbons. [00:15.16]Also known as the silvery gibbon, [00:19.08]the primate is only found on Java, [00:22.96]Indonesia's most populous island. [00:27.56]The animals help keep forest areas healthy [00:31.80]by spreading seeds around the area. [00:35.16]But conservation groups say the gibbons' habitat [00:40.88]is increasingly under threat [00:43.72]because of climate change and human activities. [00:48.80]The local group SwaraOwa says [00:53.16]it observes a population of about 400 gibbons [00:58.56]living in a 73-kilometer protected area [01:03.76]in the Petungkriyono Forest in central Java. [01:08.76]Researcher Arif Setiawan said as many as 70 groups are often seen [01:16.04]in the forest, compared to about 50 in 2012. [01:21.88]But he warned that their habitat is still under threat. [01:27.80]"The real threat now is the integrity of the forest itself [01:33.56]because of the increasing number of human activities," he said. [01:39.96]The American-based group Conservation International [01:44.80]estimates there are around 4,000 Javan gibbons left. [01:51.52]They are listed as endangered on the International Union [01:56.64]for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. [02:03.36]SwaraOwa and the government hold meetings [02:07.64]with members of the local community each month [02:11.64]in an effort to raise awareness of the issue. [02:16.68]They have also posted signs in the area [02:20.36]stating that hunting and logging are not permitted in the forest. [02:27.36]In one project, officials work with local village chiefs [02:32.84]to produce shade-grown coffee as a business. [02:37.44]This kind of growing can be done without harming forest land. [02:44.92]SwaraOwa also operates nature tours, [02:49.72]including overnight visits, for visitors coming to the area. [02:56.20]Those efforts aim to provide a way for locals [03:00.80]to earn income without harming the environment. [03:05.24]The more difficult issue to deal with is climate change. [03:11.20]"It is still raining when it is supposed to be the dry season [03:16.40]and that will eventually impact the vegetation," [03:20.84]said local forestry official Untoro Tri Kurniawan. [03:26.84]"Instead of fruiting season, leaves grow," he said. [03:32.24]"So, the flower that is supposed to become fruit [03:36.40]would fall and eventually impact the animals [03:40.12]in Petungkriyono," he added. [03:43.04]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM