加州最后的灰狼群剛剛迎來了3只新狼崽，讓所有人都大吃一驚

加州最后的灰狼群剛剛迎來了3只新狼崽，讓所有人都大吃一驚

As per officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, this April, at least three new wolf pups were born to the Lassen Pack – a group of gray wolves that have been roaming Lassen and Plumas counties in the northeast corner of the Golden State. Eight years ago, a gray wolf wandered into California, which brought the species back to the state for the first time since the 1920s, after ranchers and farmers wiped them out completely.

據(jù)加州魚類和野生動(dòng)物部門的官員透露，今年4月，拉森狼群至少誕生了3只新狼崽。拉森狼群是一群灰狼，生活在加州東北部的拉森縣和普盧瑪斯縣。八年前，一只灰狼游蕩到加州，在農(nóng)場(chǎng)主和農(nóng)民徹底消滅灰狼之后，這是自20世紀(jì)20年代以來灰狼首次回到加州。

This April, California’s only known wolf pack welcomed its 3 new members

今年四月，加州唯一的狼群迎來了它的3個(gè)新成員

The wolf pups and two adult wolves were captured on video on a trail camera on June 18 in a remote area, about 100 miles from the border of Oregon. After the birth of the pups, the total number of gray wolves in the state of California grew to somewhere from seven to ten wolves. It’s difficult to predict the exact number as wolves roam hundreds of miles into other states, while only two wolves in California are wearing radio collars.

6月18日，在距離俄勒岡州邊境約100英里的一個(gè)偏遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)，一只小狼崽和兩只成年狼被跟蹤攝像機(jī)拍攝了下來。幼崽出生后，加州灰狼的總數(shù)從7只增加到10只。很難預(yù)測(cè)確切的數(shù)字，因?yàn)槔窃谄渌萦问帞?shù)百英里，而在加州只有兩只狼戴著無線電項(xiàng)圈。

The wolf population in the Golden State was wiped out in the 1920s

金州狼在20世紀(jì)20年代被消滅了

Since the reintroduction of the wolf population began back in 1995 and 1996, the number of wolves has been gradually growing in the United States. Several dozen of them were brought from Canada and released in Yellowstone National Park, as well as the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho. Consequently, back in 2011, a wolf (that later biologists named OR-7) was spotted to have wandered from Oregon to California, thus starting the recovery of the wolf population in the state.

自從1995年和1996年重新引入狼群以來，美國(guó)的狼群數(shù)量一直在逐漸增加。其中幾十只來自加拿大，在黃石國(guó)家公園和愛達(dá)荷州的弗蘭克·丘奇荒野被放生。因此，在2011年，一只狼(后來的生物學(xué)家將其命名為OR-7)被發(fā)現(xiàn)從俄勒岡州流浪到加州，從而開始了該州狼種群的恢復(fù)。

Since 1995, conservationists have been working on bringing the wolves back to the state

自1995年以來，環(huán)保人士一直致力于將狼帶回該州

Wolves that used to roam freely across the West coast, went practically extinct in the area as they were hunted and poisoned by hunters, trappers, farmers and ranchers who feared that wolves would hunt their calves or sheep, as well as deer and elk. Amarow Weiss, a biologist and senior advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity in Petaluma commented: “Wolves are important for ecosystems. They are an important thread in the tapestry of nature. Elk and deer evolved with them. Wolves keep them in check, which helps vegetation not get over-eaten. That vegetation provides nesting habitat for migrating birds and building material for beavers, which create ponds for frogs and fish. Wolves are part of what keeps nature healthy and what keeps nature wild.”

曾經(jīng)在西海岸自由游蕩的狼，在該地區(qū)幾乎滅絕了，因?yàn)樗鼈儽猾C人、農(nóng)民和牧場(chǎng)主獵殺，并被毒死，他們擔(dān)心狼會(huì)獵殺他們的小?；蜓颍约奥购枉缏?。帕塔盧馬生物多樣性中心的生物學(xué)家和資深倡導(dǎo)者阿瑪羅·韋斯評(píng)論說:“狼對(duì)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)很重要。它們是大自然織錦中的一根重要的線。麋鹿和鹿也隨之進(jìn)化。狼控制它們，這有助于植物不被過度食用。這些植被為候鳥提供了筑巢的棲息地，也為海貍提供了建筑材料，海貍為青蛙和魚創(chuàng)造了池塘。狼是保持大自然健康和野性的一部分。”

Apparently, the efforts are finally bearing fruit

顯然，這些努力終于取得了成果

“Having wolves return to California is one of the most significant environmental developments in conservation in this state,” Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity told a local news outlet.

生物多樣性中心的阿馬洛克·維斯在接受當(dāng)?shù)匾患倚侣劽襟w采訪時(shí)說:“讓狼回到加州是這個(gè)州在保護(hù)環(huán)境方面最重要的進(jìn)展之一。”

More info: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Image credits: California Department of Fish and Wildlife