印度的老虎數(shù)量正在上升

印度的老虎數(shù)量正在上升

Good news in the world of endangered species is generally a rare thing, so it's worth taking a moment to celebrate the results from India's latest tiger census.

在瀕危物種的世界里，好消息通常是很少見的，所以我們有必要花點時間來慶祝印度最新的老虎普查結(jié)果。

Conservation officials for the country announced this week a 30 percent increase in its tiger population, a trend that has continued since the last census. The numbers were 1,706 in 2011; 2,226 in 2015 and now 2,967 in 2019.

該國的保護官員本周宣布老虎數(shù)量增加30%，這一趨勢自上次人口普查以來一直在持續(xù)。2011年這一數(shù)字為1706;2015年為2226，2019年為2967。

India is home to 70 percent of the world's tigers, and progress there is raising optimism about the future of the species. (Photo: Lensalot/Shutterstock)

Unfortunately, like many other countries that harbor endangered species, India's conservation efforts are being rocked by mass-scale organized poaching and increased demand from the black market for animal parts. A census in 2008 in India found its tiger population at a dangerously low number of 1,411 tigers. To counter further drops, officials moved to protect sensitive tiger breeding grounds and increase the country's wildlife reserves. Despite stricter laws governing tourism in tiger reserves, more than 3 million people visit them each year, boosting local economies and creating jobs.

不幸的是，像許多其他國家一樣，印度的保護工作受到大規(guī)模有組織的偷獵和黑市對動物器官需求增加的沖擊。2008年印度的一次普查發(fā)現(xiàn)，該國老虎的數(shù)量只有1411只，很危險。為了應對老虎數(shù)量的進一步下降，官員們采取措施保護敏感的老虎繁殖地，并增加該國的野生動物保護區(qū)。盡管有更嚴格的法律管理老虎保護區(qū)的旅游業(yè)，但每年仍有300多萬人參觀老虎保護區(qū)，促進了當?shù)亟?jīng)濟發(fā)展，創(chuàng)造了就業(yè)機會。

International cooperation and funding from groups like WildAid, the World Wildlife Fund and deep-pocketed advocates like Richard Branson, Larry Ellison and Leonardo DiCaprio have made an impact, as have on-the-ground efforts from local communities and individuals.

來自野生救援組織、世界野生動物基金會等組織的國際合作和資助，以及理查德•布蘭森、拉里•埃里森和萊昂納多•迪卡普里奧等財力雄厚的倡導人士，以及當?shù)厣鐓^(qū)和個人的實地努力，都產(chǎn)生了影響。

Technology is also aiding the comeback, with officials monitoring tiger populations using drones and other technology. For 2019, 26,000 camera traps took almost 350,000 images across known tiger habitats using artificial intelligence to identify individual tigers.

科技也在幫助老虎的回歸，官員們使用無人機和其他技術(shù)來監(jiān)控老虎的數(shù)量。2019年，26000個相機陷阱使用人工智能識別老虎個體，在已知老虎棲息地拍攝了近35萬張照片。

While the population increases are encouraging, conservationists say the fight to save tigers and other endangered species is far from over.

盡管老虎數(shù)量的增長令人鼓舞，但環(huán)保人士表示，保護老虎和其他瀕危物種的斗爭遠未結(jié)束。

"While this is good news from India, I don't think anyone is sitting back and saying 'we've won'," Debbie Banks, head of the Tiger Campaign at the Environmental Investigation Agency, told CNN. "The demand within China for skins to decorate homes and bones for tiger bone wine all continue. And so it's a constant battle."

“雖然這是來自印度的好消息，但我不認為有人會坐視不管，說‘我們贏了’，”環(huán)境調(diào)查署老虎保護運動負責人黛比·班克斯告訴CNN。“中國國內(nèi)裝飾房屋的獸皮和虎骨酒的骨頭需求都在繼續(xù)。所以這是一場持續(xù)不斷的戰(zhàn)斗。”