第2958期:Kenya solves cactus problem with microbes

In central Kenya, local say people are being driven away from their homes by a cactus.

肯尼亚中部地区有传言称，一种仙人掌正迫使当地居民背井离乡。

Many people have moved out because their goats and cattle are dying. The people of Il Polei and Muneshwara are fleeing to other places. Many have left.

很多人因为山羊和牛不断死亡而搬离，伊尔波莱和穆内什瓦拉的居民正逃往其他地方，许多人已经离开。

The opuntia cactus are spread like a weed, killing off thousands of acres of grassland. Rancher Margaret Mamai says it has destroyed her livelihood.

仙人掌像杂草一样蔓延，毁掉了数千英亩的草原。牧场主玛格丽特·马迈说，这毁了她的生计。

If goats eat the cactus and its fruit, their eyes and mouth are affected. The most effective one is sheep.

如果山羊吃了仙人掌及其果实，它们的眼睛和嘴巴会受到影响。最可怜的是绵羊。

If it eats the cactus, there is no treatment. It dies. Now there is no place for them to graze.

如果它们吃了仙人掌，就无药可医了。它们就死定了。现在它们没有地方吃草了。

Mamai is fighting back by breeding microorganism that feed on the cactus.

马迈正在通过培育以仙人掌为食的微生物进行反击。

But Kenyan authorities say they will need to use laboratories to produce the quantities required to wipe out the problem plant.

但肯尼亚当局表示，他们需要利用实验室来生产所需数量的物资，以根除这种有害植物。

That's what we are lacking. The producers are making microorganisms so that they can be spread all over for them to reduce the opuntia. But it's a very slow method.

这正是我们所缺乏的。生产者正在培育微生物，以便将它们播撒到各处来减少仙人掌的数量。但是这个方法要花很长时间。

But it is not just microorganism that can feed on the cactus. At this community center, the cactus fruit are crushed to make juice and wine.

但并非只有微生物能啃食仙人掌。在这家社区中心，仙人掌果被压榨成汁，酿成美酒。

The seeds are dried and the oil extracted for making cosmetics.

种子经过干燥后提取油脂用于制造化妆品。

The plant for human use is good. The only problem is for the animals. Their spines, it's stuck in the animals.

这种植物对人类有益，唯一的问题是对动物而言，它们的刺会扎进动物体内。

But for the trees and the fruits, you can also eat the fruits good for human use.

除了树木，还有果实，你也可以食用对人类有益的果实。

But getting enough consumers to see the cactus as a food source is a challenge.

但要让足够多的消费者将仙人掌视为食物来源是一项挑战。

Meanwhile, for ranchers like Mamai, the opuntia is simply a way to be destroyed.

与此同时，对于像马迈这样的牧场主来说，仙人掌只是一种需要被铲除的东西。