Wild Tigers Return to China

野生虎重返中國

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 traps captured footage of a tigress and her cubs in Jilin Wangqing Nature Reserve. It was a landmark moment—tigers were breeding in China again.

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

Qiu Shi is a member of a patrol team for the Dongning Forestry and Grassland Bureau. 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 conflict） 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.

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。

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增加，并從毗鄰俄羅斯的最北省份黑龍江向內陸擴散。但是，由于盜獵和濫伐森林的威脅依然存在，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。

邱時是東寧市林業和草原局巡護隊的一員。與眾不同的是，她所在的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。

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

The tale of a solitary male tiger named Hu Wa demonstrates exactly why enabling tigers to move is so important. This 12-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 major infrastructures such as the Heda Highway impede his movements and stop any tigress coming to him. So Hu Was home—the Huangnihe Nature Reserve is currently building a number of ecological corridor belts， and hopes that it will be interconnected with other protected areas inhabited by northeastern tigers.

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 showing 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.

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。

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12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，虎娃的家——黃泥河自然保護區正在建一些生態走廊帶，希望能與其他有東北虎棲息的保護區實現互聯互通。

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的范圍，包括建立東北虎豹國家公園。該公園面積為1.46萬平方千米，比美國的黃石國家公園大60%。

Word Bank

footage /'f?t?d?/ n. （影片中的）連續鏡頭，片段

breed /bri?d/ v. 交配繁殖

Many animals breed only at certain times of the year.

poach /p??t?/ v. 偷獵，偷捕

patrol /p?'tr??l/ n. 巡邏；巡查