Outback Wrangler|澳洲动物达人

by Marcus Maurice

Some people search for adventure, while others are born into it.

At the age of 10, Matt Wright wasn't your typical child. Most kids like to play outside and are fascinated with animals, but Wright took this a step further. He collected dangerous animals, including three deadly king brown snakes, kept them in his room, and showed them off to his friends at school. As he got older, he realized he loved the great outdoors, which led him to join the army, work on an oil rig, and even get a helicopter pilot's license. Join National Geographic Channel (NGC) this month for Outback Wrangler and get to know more about this rough and rugged Australian.

Early on, the audience learns that Wright has an affinity for crocodiles. In the wetlands of Australia's Northern Territory, which is home to the largest crocodiles on Earth, Wright and his team must collect 20,000 crocodile eggs in three months. This task is extremely dangerous because they have to descend into some of the most hazardous places in crocodile territoryhe mothers' nests.

In another episode, Wright's animal rescue skills are put to the test on the island of Borneo. There, he teams up with a head ranger to trap and relocate a crocodile on a palm oil plantation. While there, he also helps an animal unit relocate a king cobra, one of the world's largest venomous snakes, as well as a group of wild elephants. Working closely with scientists and the authorities, Wright's goal is to create a win-win situation for both animals and humans.

澳洲动物达人

有些人刻意寻求刺激，有些人则天生注定要过着冒险犯难的生活。

　　麦特‧莱特 10 岁的时候就跟你心目中一般的儿童大不相同。大多数的儿童喜欢在户外玩耍、对动物着迷，然而莱特的兴趣却更猛。他搜集危险动物，其中包括 3 条致命的棕伊澳蛇，把牠们养在房间里，而且把牠们带到学校向朋友炫耀。他年纪稍大后，明白自己喜爱大自然，于是他从军、在石油钻探平台工作，甚至取得了直升机的驾驶执照。本月国家地理频道的《澳洲动物达人》节目将带您认识这位粗犷健壮的澳洲人。

　　在节目之初，观众会知道莱特非常喜爱鳄鱼。澳洲北领地自治区的湿地住着全球最大型的鳄鱼，莱特和他的团队必须在 3 个月内搜集到 2 万颗鳄鱼蛋。这项任务极为危险，因为他们必须从直升机上垂降到一些鳄鱼领土内最危险的地点，那就是鳄鱼妈妈的巢穴。

　　在另一集节目中，莱特的动物拯救技巧在婆罗洲岛受到考验。在那里，他和骑警主任合作在生产棕榈油的园区内捕捉 1 只鳄鱼，并将牠安置在别处。他在那里的期间，也协助1 个动物小组迁移 1 条眼镜蛇王──全世界最大的毒蛇之一──以及 1群野象。莱特和科学家及有关当局密切合作，目标在为动物和人类创造一个双赢的局面。

伊澳蛇属（学名：Pseudechis），又称黑蛇，是蛇亚目眼镜蛇科下的一个有毒蛇属，主要分布于澳洲诸州（除塔斯马尼亚外），亦出没于巴布亚新几内亚。其栖息地十分广泛，既出现于干燥的大陆，亦会出现于沼泽地带。

所有伊澳蛇均属于危险蛇类，其所含毒素足以致命。大部分伊澳蛇长度均可达 2 公尺，颜色种类繁多，但多以棕色为基调，亦有以黑色为主。各种伊澳蛇中，以红腹伊澳蛇（Pseudechis porphyriacus）及棕伊澳蛇（Pseudechis australis）最为普遍，而且分布最为广泛。伊澳蛇主要捕食蜥蜴、蛙类、鸟类、小型哺乳动物甚或其它蛇类。所有伊澳蛇（除红腹伊澳蛇外）都属卵生蛇类。（数据源：维基百科）