8月8日20時許，云南北移亞洲象群14頭大象已跨過元江，平安回歸適宜棲息地。

A herd of wild Asian elephants that has wandered Southwest China's Yunnan province for more than 17 months appears to be heading home to its traditional habitat in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.
在云南游蕩了17個多月以后，亞洲象群正在回歸原棲息地——西雙版納國家自然保護區(qū)的路上。

【知識點】

亞洲象（Asian elephants）為我國一級重點保護野生動物（wild animals under first-class national protection），在世界自然保護聯(lián)盟瀕危物種紅色名錄（ the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species）中被列為“瀕危物種”（endangered species），主要分布在云南普洱、西雙版納、臨滄3個州市，是亞洲現(xiàn)存最大和最具代表性的陸生脊椎動物（terrestrial vertebrate），也是維持森林生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的“工程師”。

云南省林業(yè)和草原局黨組書記、局長萬勇介紹：

The elephants were on Monday approximately 26 kilometers from Mojiang county, Pu'er city, one of their major habitats in Yunnan along with Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.
8月9日，象群距離普洱市墨江縣轄區(qū)約26公里，該縣是除西雙版納傣族自治州以外，亞洲象在云南的另一個主要棲息地。

后續(xù)，現(xiàn)場指揮部將繼續(xù)科學引導，全力保障象群安全，幫助其盡快回歸原棲息地。

象群離家17月，遷移500多公里

The herd of 14 elephants, ranging in age and size, has traveled more than 500 km.
這14頭亞洲象，年齡、體型各異，已經(jīng)遷移了500多公里。

Sixteen elephants departed Xishuangbanna, but three of them dropped out of the trek and two calves were born en route. In July, a bull elephant that had broken away from the herd was sedated and returned to the nature reserve.
最初離開西雙版納時有16頭象，途中有三頭掉隊，另有兩只幼崽出生。今年7月，一頭雄象離隊，被麻醉后帶回自然保護區(qū)。

Heading north, the herd passed through Pu'er, Honghe and Yuxi. In June, they reached the outskirts of Kunming, the provincial capital.
象群在北移途中經(jīng)過了普洱、紅河和玉溪等地。今年6月，它們抵達云南省省會昆明市郊外。

Local authorities deployed trucks, workers and drones to monitor the elephants 24 hours a day, evacuated roads for them to pass safely and lured them away from populated areas with food.
當?shù)卣沙隹ㄜ嚒⒐ぷ魅藛T以及無人機24小時監(jiān)測象群，為它們安全通過清空道路，用食物將它們從人口密集地區(qū)引開。

Nearly 180 metric tons of food, including pineapples and corn, has been fed to the herd, Wan said. Even as they encroached on communities, none of the elephants or people were injured.
途中投放菠蘿、玉米等食物近180噸，在象群侵擾居民區(qū)期間，未造成人、象受傷。

【詞匯講解】

這里的encroach指“gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory”（慢慢地或偷偷地進入他人的領(lǐng)地），常用的搭配encroach on/upon something則表示“一步步占用，占據(jù)（時間、權(quán)利、土地等）”，比如：I resent it that my job is starting to encroach on my family life（我憎惡的是，我的工作開始越來越多地占用了我的家庭生活時間），They have promised that the development will not encroach on public land（他們承諾這個開發(fā)項目不會占用公共用地）。

在科學研究方面，北移亞洲象群為動物學家提供了近距離觀測亞洲象棲息活動的機會。

北移亞洲象群專家組成員、國家林業(yè)和草原局亞洲象研究中心主任陳飛表示：

They can identify the direction of food and water resources very precisely. And they also showed great performances in solidarity and group decision-making. Their division of work is impressive, too.
它們能精確識別食物和水源的方向，表現(xiàn)出了強大的團結(jié)和團隊決策能力。象群內(nèi)的分工也很明確。

未來還有可能北移

北移亞洲象群處置專家組成員、云南西雙版納國家級自然保護區(qū)管護局高級工程師沈慶仲表示：

It's likely that the elephants will head north again.
象群可能會再度北移。

Historically, Asian elephants used to live in many parts of the country. Migration is in their nature. It helps the species expand its territory and have more chances to improve their gene pool by mating with different groups.
亞洲象曾經(jīng)遍布全國多地，對它們而言，遷移是一種正常行為。遷移有助于野象尋找新的棲息地和開展種群間的基因交流。

加快推進亞洲象國家公園創(chuàng)建

The forestry department and the provincial government plan to develop a national park, which aims to provide habitat protection for the elephants and a balanced relationship with residents.
國家林草局和云南省政府計劃開發(fā)一處國家公園，為亞洲象群提供棲息地保護，同時促進人象和諧共存。

【相關(guān)詞匯】

瀕危物種 endangered species

極危物種 critically endangered species

易危物種 vulnerable species

陸生野生動物 wild terrestrial animals

水生動物 aquatic animals

家畜家禽 poultry and livestock

伴侶動物 companion animal

野生動物保護 wild animal protection

參考來源：中國日報、新華網(wǎng)

（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen）