萌神兽来牧羊：英国农民引入羊驼保护新生羊羔

A family of alpacas have been brought in to patrol a farm to protect newborn lambs from the jaws of hungry foxes.

一个农场引进了一群羊驼，来保护新生小羊羔不被饥饿的狐狸叼走。

The 5ft-tall animals are keeping a watchful eye over the spring lambs to prevent them being snatched from the field by the predators.

有五英尺高的羊驼一直用警觉的眼光看着这些春天初生的小羊羔们，防止它们被捕食者抢走。

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-霍普金斯两人是兼职农民，他们在伯克郡沃金厄姆村把养羊作为业余爱好。

So far 10 lambs have been born and are being happily watched over by their South American guardians.

到目前为止，产下的10只小羊羔都在这些来自南美的羊驼的守护下快乐的成长着。

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.

斯皮勒女士是位农村服务管理员，她说：“狐狸是羊羔真正的威胁，它们会把羊羔叼走。因此在羊羔快出生时，我们借了朋友的四个羊驼来守卫小羊。羊驼的群居本能使得它们愿意保护幼小。它们会在本能的情况下赶走狗和狐狸，这意味着我们担心的东西少了一件。”

She added the alpacas had been known to chase and trample foxes to death.

她补充说羊驼可是以追逐并踩死狐狸而闻名。

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.'

霍普金斯女士则是一位维特罗斯奶酪和熟食专家，她说羊驼是完美的牧人，会把羊羔当做自己的种群来保护。她说：“一个叫云的羊驼甚至把鼻子放在羊羔身下来帮助它站起来。”

The herd will be returned to their owner Nikki Girdler, a teaching assistant, when the lambs are big enough to fend for themselves.

当羊羔长到可以自我保护的时候，羊驼就会结束它们的助理生涯，返还给它们的主人尼克-加德拉。