Hundreds of swans have been found dead at a nature reserve in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, environmental officials said Tuesday.

环保官员周二表示，在中亚国家哈萨克斯坦的一个自然保护区发现了数百只死亡的天鹅。

Between 21 December and 8 January, a total of 675 swan carcasses were discovered on Lake Karakol.

在12月21日至1月8日期间，在卡拉科尔湖共发现了675具天鹅尸体。

The nature reserve is based around Lake Karakol, near the shores of the Caspian Sea, and is home to a variety of rare and endangered species¹.

该自然保护区位于卡拉科尔湖周围，靠近里海海岸，是各种稀有和濒危物种的家园。

The birds may have died from avian flu, the ministry² said, adding that specialists had been dispatched³ to the site to investigate.

卫生部表示，这些鸟可能死于禽流感，并补充说，专家已被派往现场进行调查。

The most recent avian flu outbreak has caused trouble worldwide. In its most recent situation report, published in October, the World Organization for Animal Health said that more than half a million poultry⁴ birds died or were culled⁵ globally in the most recent three-week period leading up to the report.

最近的禽流感爆发在世界范围内造成了麻烦。世界动物卫生组织在10月份发布的最新情况报告中说，在报告发布前的最近三周内，全球有50多万只家禽死亡或被扑杀。