White Rhino Comeback
Earlier this year it was announced that the last male northern where Rhino named Sudan has died in Kenya, leaving the species basically extinct with 2 females left.
Recent research has found a new possible way for the resurrection of the species using In Vitro Fertilization IVF techniques.
There are 21,000 southern white Rhinos in the world, which scientists plan on using as surrogate mothers for northern white embryos. There are only a few frozen NWR eggs available therefore scientists have decided to first create a hybrid between the NWR and SWR to measure the success of the procedure before carrying it on using the last remaining few NWR eggs.
The scientists are planning for the the first NWR calf to be born within three years, but even if this implantation of the pure NWR embryos does lead to the birth of healthy living calves, their lack of genetic diversity cannot guarantee the build up and growth of a healthy population.
Stem cell technology has enabled scientists to turn skin cells into eggs and sperm which could be used to create genetically diverse embryos, although this is likely to take a decade. The scientists have already succeeded in creating rhino stem cells from SWR embryos.
announced (əˈnaʊnst) – bekannt geben
Rhino (ˈraɪˌnoʊ) – das Nashorn
species (ˈspiʃiz) – die Art
resurrection (ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃən) – die Auferstehung
In Vitro Fertilization (ɪn ˈvɪtroʊ ˌfɜrtəlɪˈzeɪʃən) – die künstliche efruchtung
surrogate (ˈsɜrəgət) – die Leihmutter
frozen (ˈfroʊzən) – gefroren
procedure (prəˈsiʤər) – das Verfahren
calf (kæf) – das Kalb
embryos (ˈɛmbriˌoʊz) – die Embryonen
genetic (ʤəˈnɛtɪk) – genetisch
stem cell (stɛm sɛl) – die Stammzelle
decade (dɛˈkeɪd) – das Jahrzehnt
Canada Heat Wave
Thirty three people have died during an intense heat wave in Canada, officials have reported that the heat wave has baked the southern part of the province of Quebec.
The increase in temperature began last Friday with degrees up to 35 accompanied by high levels of humidity.
Death tolls have been increasing on a daily basis throughout the week with most victims aged between 50 and 80.
Officials say this heat wave is the worse the province has experienced in decades, they are urging people to stay hydrated and to stay in shaded areas or indoors.
The city is taking action by opening pools and air conditioned spaces to the public, as well as by checking up on some 15,000 vulnerable residents by knocking door to door.
Montreal public health official Mylene Drouin told CBC that most of the Montrealers who died were over 65, had no air conditioning and had prior health issues.
Prime Minister Justin Tradeau has shared his thoughts and condolences via twitter and urged people to stay safe during this heat wave that is supposed to drop down to 24 degrees by the end of this week.
intense (ɪnˈtɛns) – heftig
heat wave (hit weɪv) – die Hitzewelle
baked (beɪkt) – gebacken
province (ˈprɑvəns) – die Provinz
accompanied (əˈkʌmpənid) – begleitet
humidity (hjuˈmɪdəti) – die Feuchtigkeit
Death tolls (dɛθ toʊlz) – der Blutzoll
Shaded (ˈʃeɪdɪd) – schattiert
air conditioned ɛr (kənˈdɪʃənd) – klimatisiert
vulnerable (ˈvʌlnərəbəl) – gefährdet
condolences (kənˈdoʊlənsəz) – das Beileid
Football Team Trapped in Cave
A youth football team of boys aged 11 to 16 and their couch are trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chaing Rai province in Thailand. After a game nearby they decided to explore the cave together. A rescue team found them on Monday night and since then they are trying to get the boys and their coach out of the cave.
The looming monsoon season brings new complications to the rescue mission. When the raining season starts most of the cave will fill with water. Some of the chambers are already under water.
The group has been cared for by members of the Thai Navy SEALS as well as medical experts. They started providing the group with oxygen tanks. The coach and two of the boys are too malnourished and fatigued to be moved. Navy divers will have to lead the group through the snaking cave complex. At the moment they are teaching the boys how to use the diving equipment.
The rescue team above ground is planning for a number of possible ways to get the team and their coach out of the cave.
Concerns about the mental health of the boys is growing but so far the boys are looking worse-for-wear but are still smiling and laughing.
youth football team (ju:θ ˈfʊtbɔ:l ti:m) – das Jugend- Fussballteam
to be trapped (træp) – gefangen sein, in der Falle sitzent
to decide (dɪˈsaɪd) – etw entscheiden
to explore (ɪkˈsplɔ:ʳ) – etw erkunden, ergründen
cave (keɪv) – die Höhle
to looming/ to loom (lu:m) – lauern, heraufziehen
monsoon season (mɒnˈsu:n ˈsi:zən) – die Regensaison
chamber (ˈtʃeɪmbəʳ) – die Kammer
to care for (keəʳ fɔ:ʳ) –versorgen, kümmern
to provide (prə(ʊ)ˈvaɪd) – versorgen
malnourished (ˌmælˈnʌrɪʃt) – unterernährt
fatigued (fəˈti:g) – erschöpft
diver (ˈdaɪvəʳ) – de/ die Taucher/in
to snake (sneɪk) – schlängelnd, schlangenförmig
above (əˈbʌv) – oberhalb, über
worse – for-wear (wɜ:s- fɔ:ʳ- weəʳ) – etw wacklig auf den Beinen
Update:
12 Thai boys and their coach were successfully rescued yesterday from the Tham Luang cave after being trapped in there for weeks.
The mission was accomplished by a group of skillful rescue divers who were able to swim through the cave and rescue one boy at a time. The complex mission saw 4 boys rescued on Sunday, then another 4 on Monday and the rest including the coach just last night.
successfully (səkˈsɛsfəli) – erfolgreich
rescued (ˈrɛskjud) – gerettet
mission (ˈmɪʃən) – die Aufgabe
skillful (ˈskɪlfəl) – geschickt
complex (ˈkɑmplɛks) – komplex