关于犀牛的5个惊人数据

关于犀牛的5个惊人数据

Rhinos are some of the planet's most iconic animals, thanks largely to their hulking physiques and distinctive horns. Yet fame has done little to protect rhinos lately, as a poaching crisis has rapidly shrunk many populations of the ancient mammals.

犀牛是地球上最具标志性的动物之一，这在很大程度上要归功于它们粗壮的体格和独特的角。然而，由于偷猎危机使这种古老哺乳动物的数量迅速减少，名声近来对犀牛的保护作用甚微。

Photo: Bartosz Budrewicz/Shutterstock

In hopes of drawing more attention to rhinos and their recent troubles — and in honor of World Rhino Day, celebrated annually on September 22 — here are a few interesting facts about these misunderstood megafauna:

为了让人们更多地关注犀牛和它们最近的麻烦，为了纪念每年9月22日的世界犀牛日，这里有一些关于这些被误解的巨型动物的有趣事实:

1. Rhinos have been on Earth for around 50 million years.

犀牛已经在地球上生活了大约5000万年。

In that time, rhino species have roamed across not only Africa and Asia but also Europe and North America. Only five species exist today: white and black rhinos of Africa, greater one-horned rhinos of the Indian subcontinent, and Javan and Sumatran rhinos.

在此期间，犀牛不仅在非洲和亚洲游荡，还在欧洲和北美游荡。目前仅存五种犀牛:非洲的白犀牛和黑犀牛，印度次大陆的独角犀牛，爪哇犀牛和苏门答腊犀牛。

2. Some 500,000 rhinos existed across Asia and Africa just 100 years ago.

100年前，亚洲和非洲大约有50万头犀牛。

But since the beginning of the 20th century, their numbers have fallen precipitously. There were just 70,000 by 1970 and a mere 29,000 in the wild today.

但自20世纪初以来，它们的数量急剧下降。到1970年只有7万只，而现在野生的只有2.9万只。

3. The price for rhino horn is extremely high..

犀牛角的价格非常高。

Although the price is widely reported anyway, many conservationists worry this publicity can encourage more criminals to enter the rhino-horn trade and stimulate more consumer demand.

尽管犀牛角的价格已被广泛报道，但许多环保人士担心，这种宣传可能会鼓励更多的罪犯进入犀牛角贸易，并刺激更多的消费需求。

4. Wild rhinos could disappear within a few decades if poachers continue killing hundreds of rhinos every year.

如果偷猎者继续每年捕杀数百头犀牛，野生犀牛可能在几十年内消失。

This would be not only a devastating blow to the world as a whole, but also to many national economies, which could continue to make money from rhinos through eco-tourism and photo safaris.

这不仅会对整个世界造成毁灭性的打击，也会对许多国家的经济造成毁灭性的打击，这些国家可以通过生态旅游和摄影狩猎活动继续从犀牛身上赚钱。

5. A recent drop in rhino poaching isn't necessarily cause for celebration.

最近犀牛偷猎的减少并不一定值得庆祝。

South Africa is home to nearly 80% of the continent's remaining rhino population, yet more than 1,000 rhinos were poached every year there between 2013 and 2017. The country has been the hub of a broader African poaching crisis since 2008, which saw a growing number of rhinos killed every year until 2015, when the numbers finally seemed to peak.

南非拥有非洲大陆剩余犀牛数量的近80%，但在2013年至2017年间，每年都有超过1000头犀牛被偷猎。自2008年以来，该国一直是一场更广泛的非洲偷猎危机的中心。在这场危机中，每年都有越来越多的犀牛被猎杀，直到2015年，犀牛数量似乎终于达到峰值。

"The decline in the number of poached rhinos may demonstrate that the anti-poaching work taking place is having an effect, or it may also demonstrate that with significantly fewer rhinos surviving in the wild, it is getting harder for poachers to locate their prey," Save the Rhino explains. "More action is needed to stop the illegal trade and ensure rhinos have a positive future."

拯救犀牛组织解释说:“偷猎犀牛数量的减少可能表明反偷猎工作正在发挥作用，也可能表明，野生犀牛数量显著减少，盗猎者更难找到猎物。”“需要采取更多行动制止非法贸易，确保犀牛有一个光明的未来。”