Amure虎在中国——利用还是放归？

cassandra

吴琦

整整一百年前的1905年，俄罗斯地理学家阿尔谢尼耶夫（Apcьниeв）在远东的锡霍特山地区进行考察时，了解到生存在这里的Amure虎的生态学状况。这种虎总是单独跟随在寒温带草食、杂食哺乳动物群后面，终年在森林中游荡；捕食那些老幼、病、伤的掉队个体，被捕食者主要是野猪、狍和鹿科动物。

由此，我们可以认为欲将现在园养的Amure虎放归自然所必须的野外生境：

1、寒温带林区，即北纬45°N以北，东经120°E以东的森林地带。
2、必须在放归地区恢复草食、杂食哺乳动物野生群。主要是野猪群。
3、必须将该地区的人为干扰降至最低。主要指狩猎、采集、森林旅游、森林采伐和管理活动。

将Amure虎放归森林是一项严肃的复杂的科学活动，必须拒绝肤浅的理解和轻率的计划。例如关于森林面积对Amure虎和其捕食动物群的可容纳量，必须有合理的估计；必须有一个长期的耐寒、捕食、栖息、繁育等的适应性训练计划。放归前的一切恢复野外活动的准备必须在放归地实施，而不是在桂林或南京的野生动物园实施；被捕食动物必须是寒温带的食草动物，而不是活牛和山羊；训练项目必须包括森林地带对猎物的自由追逐，而不是在狭小的表演场内。最后，放归前所必须的遗传学研究，个体识别标记以及放归后的追踪研究，也都是可以想像的。

上世纪之末，在中国估计有20只野生Amure虎，分布在小兴安岭，长白山和珲春自然保护区内。新世纪之初，基于3只野生个体被人为伤害致死的事实，有人估计中国的野生Amure虎仅为7只或已少于10只，已达到自然延续难以为继的程度。

而与此同时，中国的园养Amure虎却已达到创记录的500只或更多，它们生活在各地的野生动物园、动物园、马戏团和表演场内。这些Amure虎中，有些未受到科学的照料和爱护而受到伤害，其现状和未来令人担忧！

我们认为，在中国当前，除存在对野生Amure虎显而易见的忽视外，还存在着对园养群的利用的愈来愈大的压力，主要是虎及其制品的国际和国内的贸易和利用虎作为表演动物的无限制的商业行为。

中国的Amure虎的命运面临着历史性决择：或者在未来5-10年内逐步回归自然；或者从野外完全消失而彻底变为驯养动物。保护者遗憾地发现前一种可能已愈来愈渺茫，而后一种可能性却渐成现实。

cassandra

AMUR TIGER IN CHINA: TO UTILIZE OR TO LIBERATE?

In 1905, just one hundred years ago, Russian geographer Apcьниeв (阿尔谢尼耶夫) was conducting research on Siwoo-hat Mountain in Far Eastern Asia. There, he discovered important information about the ecological conditions of the Amur tiger. This type of tiger subsists on herbivorous and omnivorous mammals living in cool temperate zones. The Amur tiger mainly targets wild boars, roe deer, and other deer. It stalks them year-round in their natural forest habitats, and it preys on old, baby, or sick members of their herds.

Therefore, we can describe the natural habitat as follow, which is needed when zoo animals are sent to nature.

1， Forest in cool temperate zone, which grows in the area to the north of 45°North Latitude and the east of 120°East Longitude.

2， Recovery of the populations of herbivore and omnivorous mammals there, espacially wild boars.

3， Minimize artificial disturbance, such as hunting, poaching， foraging, forest tour, logging and other forest management.

To send Amur Tigers back to nature is a serious and complicated activity. Any superficial comprehension and rash plan should be rejected. For example, how many Amur Tigers and quarries can the forest area holds? It needs a reasonable estimation. There also should be long-term training programs to adapt them to activities such as bearing cold climate, preying, inhabiting, and reproducing and so on. All those programs should be operated in wild field, but not zoos in Nanjing or Guilin. The preys should be herbivore and omnivorous mammals from cool temperate zone, but not cattle or goats. The training programs should be free hunting in forest, but not circus shows in small performance field. Lastly, genetical research, such as individual identifying mark and tracing study after sending back，is also foreseeable.

At the end of last century, it is estimated that there were 20 feral Amur Tigers in China, distributed in Junior Xingan Mountain, Changbai Mountain and Huichun nature protection area. At the beginning of the new century, 3 Amur Tigers were hurt to death. It is supposed less than 10 individuals survive and can’t reproduce by themselves.

Meanwhile, the figure of Amur Tigers in Chinese zoos comes to a peak of 500 or more. They live in zoos, circus and performing field across the country. Among these tigers, some don’t recieve scientific care, suffering from people's hurt. Their situation and future are gloomy.

In our opinion, besides obvious ignorance to feral Amur Tiger, there're also strengthening pressure on the utilization of those kept in zoos, mainly on the international and internal trading of tigers and goods made of tigers as well as the unlimited commercial behavior of forcing tigers to give performance. A historic choice influencing the fate of Amur Tigers in China will be made: to send them back to the nature step by step in the next 5-10 years; or to make them completely domesticated and disappear as the wild ones. Protectors sadly find that the former possibility is becoming more and more tiny with the latter coming true.


Written by: Wu Qi
Translated by: Rong Lijuan
Revised by: Hong Yuning,  Andre Henderson