Wild Tigers Return to China野生虎重返中國

朱末/譯

In 2010 there were no more than 20 wild tigers in China， most of which had crossed the border from Russia. That was until 2014， when camera traps1 captured footage of a tigress and her cubs in Jilin Wangqing Nature Reserve： it was a landmark moment—tigers were breeding in China again.

2010年，中國的野生虎不超過20只，其中大部分是從俄羅斯跨越邊境過來的。直到2014年，相機陷阱捕捉到了吉林汪清自然保護區內一只雌虎與其幼崽的畫面。這是一個里程碑式的時刻，標志著野生虎再次在中國繁衍生息。

Thanks to the efforts of the government and conservationists， the population has been gradually recovering and dispersing inland from the countrys northmost province at the border with Russia. But as poaching and defor-estation remain a threat， rangers play a crucial role in protecting tiger habitats. Gathering data and deterring poaching and illegal logging， they act as the eyes and ears of the forest.

得益于政府和自然環境保護主義者的努力，老虎的數量已經逐漸恢復，并從毗鄰俄羅斯的最北省份黑龍江向內陸擴散。但是，由于盜獵和盜伐的威脅依然存在，護林員在保護老虎棲息地方面發揮著關鍵作用。他們收集數據，阻止盜獵和非法砍伐，為森林站崗放哨。

Qiu Shi is a member of a patrol team for the Dongning Forestry Bur-eau. Uniquely， her team is the only all-female patrol team in Chinas tiger range. Together they work to protect the countrys north-most region of Heilongjiang. When they are not on patrol， they often visit their local markets and interact closely with the communities in which they grew up， listening to their challenges and concerns （especially related to wildlife conflict2） and raising awareness of the need to protect tigers and other wildlife from poaching. It is hard work; in this region temperatures often drop as low as minus 40 degrees.

邱時是東寧市林業局巡護隊的一員。與眾不同的是，她所在隊伍是中國老虎保護區唯一的女子巡護隊。她們共同巡護位于中國最北端的黑龍江。閑暇時，她們經常走訪當地市場，與自家所在社區的居民密切互動，傾聽他們的疑問和擔憂（尤其是人與野生動物沖突方面的），并向人們宣傳要保護老虎和其他野生動物免受盜獵。這是一項艱苦的工作，因為該地區的氣溫經常低至零下40攝氏度。

Though the terrain and weather is consistently challenging， Qiu Shi has begun to notice positive changes in the landscape thanks to conservation efforts. “The territory is wider， the food is richer， and the species are now more diverse，” she says.

盡管地形險惡，天氣惡劣，但由于自然環境保護工作的實施，邱時已經開始注意到該地區自然環境的改善。“領地更寬了，食物更豐富了，物種也更多樣化了。”她說。

“I am very proud of the work that I do，” she adds. “We live beside the forest， regarding it as a companion， and I encourage my family to pay attention to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature， and to care consciously about wildlife.” It is a sentiment that has been passed down through generations; many of the patrol team members fathers and grandfathers were also forestry people.

“我為自己所做的工作感到非常自豪。”她補充說，“我們在森林周邊生活，把它視作我們的伙伴。我鼓勵家人關注人與自然和諧共存的關系，要自覺地關心野生動物。”這是一種世代相傳的情感。許多巡護隊員的祖輩父輩也都是林業人。

The tigers return to their home holds particular significance.? “As a keystone species3， tigers represent to me that my work is meaningful，” she explains.

老虎重返家園具有特殊的意義。“老虎是關鍵物種，因此我覺得我的工作很有意義。”她解釋說。

As tigers return to the northmost area of China， efforts are underway to ensure they are able to travel deeper into the country.

隨著老虎重返中國最北部地區，確保它們能夠深入內陸的行動也正在展開。

The tale of a solitary male tiger named Hu Wa demonstrates exactly why enabling tigers to move is so important. This eight-year-old male is the sole individual known in the Huangnihe Nature Reserve. His frantic search for a mate has seen him travel extensively， as far as the major city of Jilin. But with major infrastructure such as the Heda Highway impeding his movements， and stopping any tigress coming to him， there is an urgent need to restore wildlife corridors before its too late for Hu Wa to breed. On Global Tiger Day 2020， WWF-China is initiating a national campaign #TigersNeedCorridors， calling on the public to facilitate government actions on corridor building.

一只名叫“虎娃”的獨居雄虎的故事生動說明了讓老虎能夠自由活動的重要性。這只八歲的雄虎是黃泥河自然保護區內已知的唯一東北虎。它急急火火地尋找配偶，足跡廣布，最遠曾到達大城市吉林。但是，鶴大高速等大型基礎設施阻礙了它的行動，也阻擋了雌虎前來找它的道路。因此，在虎娃超過生育年齡之前恢復野生動物生態廊道刻不容緩。在2020年“全球老虎日”，世界自然基金會（中國）發起了一個全國性的#請為老虎建廊道#的話題，呼吁公眾為政府在生態廊道建設方面的行動提供便利。

Hu Was home—the Huangnihe Nature Reserve—is the first site of the country to be registered under the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards （CA|TS） accreditation scheme， a commitment showcasing its ambition to safeguard the habitat for tigers into the future. China has also committed to increasing the extent of its protected areas， including creating the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park which covers 14，600 km2， an area 60% larger than Yellowstone National Park in the US.

虎娃的家——黃泥河自然保護區——是中國第一個在老虎保護區管理標準（CA|TS）認證計劃下注冊的保護區，這一舉措展現了中國在未來保護老虎棲息地的雄心。此外，中國還致力于擴大保護區范圍，包括建立東北虎豹國家公園。該公園規劃面積為1.46萬平方公里，比美國的黃石國家公園大60%。