Wild Tigers Return to China

野生虎重返中国

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，标志着野生虎再次在中国繁衍生息。

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增加，并从毗邻俄罗斯的最北省份黑龙江向内陆扩散。但是，由于盗猎和滥伐森林的威胁依然存在，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。

邱时是东宁市林业和草原局巡护队的一员。与众不同的是，她所在的队伍是中国老虎保护区唯一的女子巡护隊。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。

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.

随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開。

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12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，虎娃的家——黄泥河自然保护区正在建一些生态走廊带，希望能与其他有东北虎栖息的保护区实现互联互通。

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的范围，包括建立东北虎豹国家公园。该公园面积为1.46万平方千米，比美国的黄石国家公园大60%。

Word Bank

footage /'f?t?d?/ n. （影片中的）连续镜头，片段

breed /bri?d/ v. 交配繁殖

Many animals breed only at certain times of the year.

poach /p??t?/ v. 偷猎，偷捕

patrol /p?'tr??l/ n. 巡逻；巡查