萌神獸來牧羊：英國農民引入羊駝保護新生羊羔

A family of alpacas have been brought in to patrol a farm to protect newborn lambs from the jaws of hungry foxes.
一個農場引進了一羣羊駝，來保護新生小羊羔不被飢餓的狐狸叼走。

The 5ft-tall animals are keeping a watchful eye over the spring lambs to prevent them being snatched from the field by the predators.
有五英尺高的羊駝一直用警覺的眼光看着這些春天初生的小羊羔們，防止它們被捕食者搶走。

Part-time farmers Janet Spiller and Teresa Hopkins keep the Wiltshire Horn sheep as a hobby in the village of Hurst, near Wokingham, Berkshire.
珍妮特-斯皮勒和特雷莎-霍普金斯兩人是兼職農民，他們在伯克郡沃金厄姆村把養羊作爲業餘愛好。

So far 10 lambs have been born and are being happily watched over by their South American guardians.
到目前爲止，產下的10只小羊羔都在這些來自南美的羊駝的守護下快樂的成長着。

Ms Spiller, a countryside service administrator, said: 'Foxes are a real danger to young lambs, snatching them away to eat. So when lambing was due we borrowed our friend's four alpacas to act as guards while the lambs are young. It's part of alpaca's herd instinct to protect youngsters. They instinctively chase off dogs and foxes and it has meant we have had one less thing to worry about.
斯皮勒女士是位農村服務管理員，她說：“狐狸是羊羔真正的威脅，它們會把羊羔叼走。因此在羊羔快出生時，我們借了朋友的四個羊駝來守衛小羊。羊駝的羣居本能使得它們願意保護幼小。它們會在本能的情況下趕走狗和狐狸，這意味着我們擔心的東西少了一件。”

She added the alpacas had been known to chase and trample foxes to death.
她補充說羊駝可是以追逐並踩死狐狸而聞名。

Ms Hopkins, a Waitrose cheese and deli specialist, said the alpacas were perfect shepherds, protecting the young lambs as if part of their flock. She said: 'One of the alpacas called Cloud even pushed his nose under one lamb to help it stand up.'
霍普金斯女士則是一位維特羅斯奶酪和熟食專家，她說羊駝是完美的牧人，會把羊羔當做自己的種羣來保護。她說：“一個叫雲的羊駝甚至把鼻子放在羊羔身下來幫助它站起來。”

The herd will be returned to their owner Nikki Girdler, a teaching assistant, when the lambs are big enough to fend for themselves.
當羊羔長到可以自我保護的時候，羊駝就會結束它們的助理生涯，返還給它們的主人尼克-加德拉。