Wild Tigers Return to China野生虎重返中国

朱末/译

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，中国的野生虎不超过20只，其中大部分是从俄罗斯跨越边境过来的。直到2014年，相机陷阱捕捉到了吉林汪清自然保护区内一只雌虎与其幼崽的画面。这是一个里程碑式的时刻，標志着野生虎再次在中国繁衍生息。

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.

得益于政府和自然环境保护主义者的努力，老虎的数量已经逐渐恢复，并从毗邻俄罗斯的最北省份黑龙江向内陆扩散。但是，由于盗猎和盗伐的威胁依然存在，护林员在保护老虎栖息地方面发挥着关键作用。他们收集数据，阻止盗猎和非法砍伐，为森林站岗放哨。

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.

邱时是东宁市林业局巡护队的一员。与众不同的是，她所在队伍是中国老虎保护区唯一的女子巡护队。她们共同巡护位于中国最北端的黑龙江。闲暇时，她们经常走访当地市场，与自家所在社区的居民密切互动，倾听他们的疑问和担忧（尤其是人与野生动物冲突方面的），并向人们宣传要保护老虎和其他野生动物免受盗猎。这是一项艰苦的工作，因为该地区的气温经常低至零下40摄氏度。

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.

尽管地形险恶，天气恶劣，但由于自然环境保护工作的实施，邱时已经开始注意到该地区自然环境的改善。“领地更宽了，食物更丰富了，物种也更多样化了。”她说。

“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.

“我为自己所做的工作感到非常自豪。”她补充说，“我们在森林周边生活，把它视作我们的伙伴。我鼓励家人关注人与自然和谐共存的关系，要自觉地关心野生动物。”这是一种世代相传的情感。许多巡护队员的祖辈父辈也都是林业人。

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

老虎重返家园具有特殊的意义。“老虎是关键物种，因此我觉得我的工作很有意义。”她解释说。

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

隨着老虎重返中国最北部地区，确保它们能够深入内陆的行动也正在展开。

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”的独居雄虎的故事生动说明了让老虎能够自由活动的重要性。这只八岁的雄虎是黄泥河自然保护区内已知的唯一东北虎。它急急火火地寻找配偶，足迹广布，最远曾到达大城市吉林。但是，鹤大高速等大型基础设施阻碍了它的行动，也阻挡了雌虎前来找它的道路。因此，在虎娃超过生育年龄之前恢复野生动物生态廊道刻不容缓。在2020年“全球老虎日”，世界自然基金会（中国）发起了一个全国性的#请为老虎建廊道#的话题，呼吁公众为政府在生态廊道建设方面的行动提供便利。

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——黄泥河自然保护区——是中国第一个在老虎保护区管理标准（CA|TS）认证计划下注册的保护区，这一举措展现了中国在未来保护老虎栖息地的雄心。此外，中国还致力于扩大保护区范围，包括建立东北虎豹国家公园。该公园规划面积为1.46万平方公里，比美国的黄石国家公园大60%。