Outbreaks of deadly anthrax exacerbated by a searing drought that has hit east Africa has killed scores of rare Grevy's zebras in Kenya and is threatening the endangered species with extinction, wildlife officials and scientists have said.

　　The zebras, known for their narrow stripes and large ears, are dying of anthrax at an alarming rate in the scrub-peppered, sprawling plains in and around Kenya's central Samburu National Reserve, one of their last remaining habitats, and more are feared to have perished further north, they said.

　　"They have died in the dozens in the northern part of the reserve and their carcasses are littered all over," said Fred Perezo Sunday, who administers Samburu for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). "They face extinction."

　　Fewer than 5,000 Grevy's zebras are believed to live in the wild, nearly all of them in the vicinity of Samburu, about 230 kilometers (145 miles) north of Nairobi, and further north towards Kenya's border with Ethiopia.

　　The region is one of the worst-affected by the drought that has killed at least 40 people, threatens millions with famine, decimated livestock herds and placed Kenya's famed world-reknowned wildlife at risk.

　　In addition to drying up watering holes and making food scarce, the drought has stirred up naturally occuring anthrax spores from the parched earth, which are now exacting a heavy toll on the Grevy's zebra, a species less hardy than its mountain and plain cousins, officials said.

　　According to a report prepared by KWS and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an acute form of equine anthrax began appearing in animals around Samburu in December as the zebras began mixing with livestock in competition for dwindling water and pasture.

　　In the course of one week in early December, seven Grevy's zebras were found dead in the reserve and many of their carcasses indicated that blood had oozed from their body orifices before death, a characteristic of anthrax, it said.

　　"It is very unusual for this species to die in large numbers," the AWF said, warning that immediate steps needed to be taken to prevent the anthrax from spreading.

　　Since that report was issued in late December, many more Grevy's zebras have died, according to Perezo who said urgent action was needed to remove and destroy their anthrax-contaminated carcasses in order to reduce the chance of other animal and human infection.

　　"The carcasses are increasing the chances of transmission of the disease," he told AFP. Conservationists say the Grevy's zebra population has decreased from 15,000 in 1970 to less than 5,000 that currently live in arid habitats in northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and western Somalia.

干旱及炭疽热使非洲珍稀斑马濒临灭绝

　　肯尼亚野生动物保护组织的官员及科学家们日前表示，最近一段时间内肆虐于东非大地的严重干旱天气使生活在肯尼亚境内的珍稀细斑纹斑马出现了大批死亡的现象，而在兽群中突然爆发的炭疽热疫情则进一步加剧了这一趋势，并使得这种本已处于濒危状态的物种面临彻底灭绝的厄运。

　　据法新社1月22日报道，肯尼亚动物保护组织官员及科学家们称，在位于肯尼亚中部桑布鲁国家公园及其周边的长满灌木丛的广阔平原上，这种以细条纹和长耳朵而闻名于世的斑马正在以令人担忧的速度死于炭疽热，而桑布鲁国家公园正是它们最后几个主要聚居地之一。更使人们担心的，还有更多的斑马因天气干旱而在肯尼亚北部地区死亡。被肯尼亚野生动物服务部门(KWS)派往桑布鲁执行管理职责的弗雷德·佩雷佐·桑戴表示，“在位于北部地区的那些野生动物保护区里已经有很多斑马死掉了，它们的尸体随处可见”，“它们真的快要灭绝了”。

　　目前，野生环境下生活的细条纹斑马据信已不足5000只，它们中的绝大部分都生活在位于肯尼亚首都内罗毕以北约230公里处的桑布鲁国家公园及其周边地带，以及临近肯尼亚与埃塞俄比亚交界处的更靠北的地区。而这些地方恰好也是近段时间旱情最为严重的地区之一。干旱使得至少已有40人丧生，数百万人面临饥饿的威胁，大量牲畜成群死亡，而一向令肯尼亚享誉全球的野生动物资源也被处于高度危险的状态。

　　报道说，非洲野生动物基金会对此表示：“这种动物大批死去其实是一种极不寻常的现象。”它同时警告说，应当立即采取有效举措以阻止炭疽热的进一步传播。佩雷佐认为，为降低其它动物及人类被传染的风险，必须马上采取紧急行动将已感染炭疽热的斑马尸体转移并销毁。

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