5 Animals That Have Gone Extinct in the Past 50 Years 五十年來滅絕的五種動物

文/詹姆斯·艾爾 譯/曹月 審訂/仲文明 By James Ayre

5 Animals That Have Gone Extinct in the Past 50 Years 五十年來滅絕的五種動物

文/詹姆斯·艾爾 譯/曹月 審訂/仲文明 By James Ayre

The rise of industrial civilization over the last few hundred years has been accompanied by the extinction of a truly vast number of different animals (as well as plant, fungi, etc.) species. While going over all such extinctions would be an impossible thing to do in a single article,it’s probably worth highlighting some of the extinctions here in order to bring more eyes to the issue.

[2] I’m going to focus here on some of the more charismatic1charismatic有超凡魅力的。(to the eyes of a human) and immediately recognizable of the animal species that have gone in extinct in recent times. With that said, here are 5 animals that have gone extinct in the past 50 years:

Baiji River Dolphin

[3] Owing to protocol, the Baiji River Dolphin (Lipotesvexillifer) has yet to actually be declared as being extinct—but, for all intents and purposes, the animal species is now long gone.

近幾百年來，工業(yè)文明蓬勃發(fā)展，隨之而來的卻是物種（動物、植物和真菌等）的大量滅絕。限于篇幅，本文無法一一列舉滅絕的物種，只能著重介紹以下幾種動物，以期得到更多人對這個問題的關(guān)注。

[2]我將從近年來滅絕的物種中，選擇幾種（在人類看來）較有魅力且較為熟悉的動物重點介紹，亦即下文將談到的50年來滅絕的5種動物。

白鰭豚

[3]根據(jù)科研規(guī)程，白鰭豚（拉丁學名Lipotesvexillifer）尚未被正式宣布滅絕，但是不論如何，該物種已絕跡很久。

[4] The Baiji River Dolphin was a species of freshwater river dolphin native only to the Yangtze River in China. The animal has been “functionally extinct” since at least 2006, when a scientific population survey turned up no survivors.

[5] The species was once fairly prevalent, with up to 6000 individuals thought to live in the river system during the 1950s. Owing to industrialization,commercial fishing, and hydroelectric dams, though, this number fell dramatically in only a few decades.Leaving only a few hundred individuals alive by the 1980s. The last time one was seen was in 2004, though there was a possible sighting in 2007.

[4]白鰭豚屬淡水豚類，僅生存于中國長江流域。至少在2006年后，種群數(shù)量調(diào)查再沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)一頭白鰭豚的身影。該物種已告“功能性滅絕”。

[5]白鰭豚種群數(shù)量一度比較可觀，據(jù)估計，20世紀50年代長江流域中至少有6000頭。然而，由于工業(yè)開發(fā)、商業(yè)捕撈以及水電大壩的修建，短短數(shù)十年間，白鰭豚種群數(shù)量急劇下降。20世紀80年代僅余數(shù)百頭。最后一次發(fā)現(xiàn)白鰭豚是在2004年，但2007年有發(fā)現(xiàn)疑似白鰭豚的動物。

[6] Considering that the species (and/or closely related ones) has been around for literally tens of millions of years,the rapid destruction of population numbers due to industrial activity represents quite a remarkable event.It really drives home the point of just how environmentally and ecologically destructive modern industrial activity has been. And, for that matter, will continue to be as the arc that began several centuries ago continues to complete itself—and the last industrially useful (economically speaking) fuels become increasingly scarce, bringing about the intensifying exploitation of still remaining resources.

[6]白鰭豚（及/或相近物種）已在地球上生活長達數(shù)千萬年之久，而工業(yè)活動導(dǎo)致其種群數(shù)量快速減少，這不能不引起我們的注意。同時，這一事件也深刻揭示了現(xiàn)代工業(yè)活動對環(huán)境和生態(tài)的毀滅性破壞。而且,幾百年來,工業(yè)發(fā)展如漸張之弓，其勢不可擋，目前僅剩的具有工業(yè)價值（就經(jīng)濟層面而言）的燃料日趨枯竭，加劇了對剩余資源的開發(fā)。

[7] The species was a fairly large one for a dolphin—measuring between 7.5—9 feet in length, and weighing up to 500 lbs. Lifespan in the wild was known to exceed 24 years. The Baiji River Dolphin could reach swimming speeds of up 37 miles per hour.

[8] Traditional stories of the region described the Baiji River dolphin as the reincarnation2reincarnation轉(zhuǎn)世化身。of a princess who had been drowned by her family for refusing to marry a man that she did not love.

Western Black Rhinoceros

[9] The Western Black Rhinoceros was only just declared extinct by the IUCN3世界自然保護聯(lián)盟（International Union for Conservation of Nature），簡稱IUCN，是世界上規(guī)模最大、歷史最悠久的全球性非營利環(huán)保機構(gòu)。總部位于瑞士格朗，亦可翻譯為“國際自然與自然資源保護聯(lián)盟”。in 2011. The species, which was quite genetically distinct from other rhino species, was once widespread throughout the savannas4savanna（東非等熱帶地區(qū)的）大草原，稀樹草原。of sub-Saharan Africa.

[10] Hunting/poaching put an end to that though—and the population declined rapidly throughout the 20th century,from over a million individuals at the beginning of the century to… zero, now.Considering that the species emerged 7—8 million years ago, it had been doing pretty well—not well enough to deal with overexploitation by its competitors homo sapiens, though, apparently.

[7]豚類之中，白鰭豚的體型相對較大，長約7.5—9英尺，重達500磅。野生白鰭豚的壽命一般可超過24年，其游行速度可達每小時37英里。

[8]長江地區(qū)還有關(guān)于白鰭豚的傳說。相傳，一位公主因違背家族指令，拒絕嫁給不愛之人，慘遭溺死，死后化身為白鰭豚。

西部黑犀牛

[9] 2011年，國際自然保護聯(lián)盟宣布西部黑犀牛滅絕。該物種與其他犀牛屬種的基因極為不同，曾廣泛分布于非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南的熱帶草原。

[10] 20世紀，黑犀牛的數(shù)量銳減，罪魁禍首是捕獵或偷獵。從20世紀初到現(xiàn)在，黑犀牛的數(shù)量已從100多萬頭降至為零。西部黑犀牛出現(xiàn)于約700萬到800萬年前, 一直生存得很好，卻顯然競爭不過過度捕獵的現(xiàn)代智人。

[11]有必要指出，在人類活動染指之前，多種犀牛類物種（如獨角犀、板齒犀、披毛犀等）曾遍布世界各地。大家往往將犀牛種群數(shù)量的驟減歸罪于非洲人，然而，分布在歐洲與北亞的犀牛也早就滅絕，因此所有人都難辭其咎。其實，只要有人類的地方，大型動物滅絕的背后或多或少都有人類的影子。有人好奇獅子為何在歐洲有著重要的象征意義，他們應(yīng)該知道，獅子曾遍布歐洲各地，于羅馬時期滅絕。給獅子種群造成致命一擊的，正是羅馬帝國后期對獅子毛皮的大量需求。

[11] It’s probably worth making a reminder here that various rhinoceroses species (the unicorn, Elasmotherium;woolly rhinos; etc.) were until recent human activity found throughout much of the world. While it’s easy to condemn people living in Africa now for the decline of the species,considering the fact that Europe and Northern Asia’s rhinos are long gone, no one is exempt from blame there. Megafauna5magafauna巨型動物。extinctions have accompanied people more or less wherever they’ve lived. On that note,those who have always wondered why lions figure so prominently in European symbolism6歐洲許多國家的國徽或國旗上都有獅子的形象，另外，獅子雕像在歐洲也隨處可見。should probably recall the fact that the European lion only just went extinct during Roman times—the species, at one point, had been found all throughout Europe. The final push over the cliff for the species appears to have been the high demand for lion pelts7pelt毛皮。during the late roman period.

Pyrenean Ibex

[12] The Pyrenean Ibex was a species of Ibex native to the Iberian Peninsula in Europe that went extinct in 2000.The species had been quite common in Southern Europe up until the 19th century. The causes of extinction are thought to be over hunting and the loss of habitat to livestock. It’s possible that diseases introduced by domesticated animals played a part as well though.

比利牛斯野山羊

[12]比利牛斯野山羊原產(chǎn)于歐洲伊比利亞半島，滅絕于2000年。19世紀以前，該物種曾一度遍布南歐。其消亡的原因可能是過度狩獵和被家畜占據(jù)棲息地，感染了家畜攜帶的疾病可能是部分原因。

Golden Toad

[13] The Golden Toad was a small,sort of golden-colored toad that was native to Costa Rica. It was only“discovered” just in 1966, before then being declared extinct by the IUCN in 2004, after a few decades of essentially no sightings. As most toads in the same family as the Golden Toad have lifespans at least as long as 12 years,though, perhaps there are still some hiding out somewhere?

[14] Factors in the toad’s presumed extinction include: restricted range,global warming, Chytridiomycosis, and airborne pollution.

Javan Tiger

[15] The Javan Tiger was a subspecies of tiger that was found only on the island of Java in Indonesia. It’s thought to have gone extinct in the middle of the 1970s—largely as the result of conflict with people (hunting, poisoning due to threats to livestock, and decreased prey) and deforestation + habitat loss(via expanding agriculture and human settlements).

金蟾蜍

[13]金蟾蜍個頭較小，全身呈金黃色，生活于哥斯達黎加。金蟾蜍于1966年 才被首次發(fā)現(xiàn)。到2004年，由于幾十年內(nèi)未能發(fā)現(xiàn)其蹤跡，世界自然保護聯(lián)盟就宣告該物種滅絕。不過，金蟾蜍與蟾蜍科的其他動物一樣，壽命可達12年，因此或許仍有部分金蟾蜍藏匿某處未被發(fā)現(xiàn)？

[14]一般認為，導(dǎo)致金蟾蜍消亡的原因有：棲息地狹小、全球變暖、壺菌疾病感染和空氣污染。

爪哇虎

[15]爪哇虎屬于虎的亞種，為印度尼西亞爪哇島所特有。據(jù)信，20世紀70年代中期，爪哇虎就已經(jīng)絕跡了，主要原因是與人類的沖突（因?qū)倚笤斐赏{被人獵殺或毒殺，以及獵物數(shù)量減少）、森林砍伐和棲息地喪失（由于擴展耕地和人類開發(fā)居住區(qū)）。

[16]值得注意的是，盡管數(shù)十年來目擊爪哇虎的消息沒有一條得到證實，此類傳聞仍層出不窮，有趣的是，這些傳聞明顯地引起了當?shù)鼐用竦目只?。?shù)以百萬計的人類占據(jù)了整座島嶼，力圖掌控一切，卻被可能存在的“危險”老虎嚇得癲狂。并不是說老虎不危險，它們當然危險，有時還吃人，但我們反應(yīng)的激烈程度總應(yīng)該和面臨的威脅大小成正比吧？人類真的有必要將其趕盡殺絕并霸占其棲息地嗎？

[16] Worth noting, despite the fact that there hasn’t been a reliable sighting of the species in decades, rumors and supposed sightings persist—and, interestingly, these sighting still apparently trigger some panic in the people in the region. Tens of millions of people, covering the land from shore to shore, trying to control nearly everything, worked into a frenzy by the thought of one possible “dangerous”tiger being out there. That’s not to say that tigers aren’t dangerous, of course they are, they do eat people occasionally, but you’d hope that the scale of the threat would match with the scale of the response wouldn’t you? Did people really need to kill all the Javan tigers off, and take all of the tiger’s land/habitat from it?

（譯者單位：中南大學）

10 Fascinating Extinct Animals (I)

1. Quagga班驢

The Quagga was a subspecies of the common plains zebra and a native of South Africa. Known for its unique stripes, the Quagga was hunted for its hide and killed by ranchers who believed the animals competed with livestock for grazing area, according to PBS.

The last known Quagga died at the Amsterdam Zoo in 1883.