美洲野牛被逼到了灭绝的边缘

美洲野牛被逼到了灭绝的边缘

The American bison – North America’s largest land animal and the national mammal of the U.S. – was nearly driven to extinction by habitat loss and hunting. An estimated 30 to 60 million bison roamed North America until the late 1800s, when bison numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000.

美洲野牛是北美最大的陆地动物，也是美国的国家哺乳动物。由于栖息地的丧失和捕猎，美洲野牛几乎濒临灭绝。据估计，直到19世纪末，北美野牛的数量减少到不足1000头。

Thanks to conservation efforts, the bison's numbers are now stable, and it is no longer endangered. Today, about 30,000 bison live in conservation-focused herds throughout North America. Another 400,000 or so are raised as livestock on ranches and farms.

由于保护工作的努力，野牛的数量现在稳定了，它不再濒临灭绝。今天，大约有3万头野牛生活在整个北美以保护为重点的群落中。另外40万左右的人在牧场和农场作为牲畜饲养。

Bison were critical in the lives of the Plains tribes. Scott Suriano / Getty Images

Threats

威胁

Historically, the greatest threats to the bison were hunting and habitat loss. Today, with their population numbers so low, they now also face threats from low genetic diversity.

历史上，对野牛最大的威胁是狩猎和栖息地的丧失。如今，由于它们的数量如此之少，它们还面临着基因多样性低的威胁。

Hunting

狩猎

Bison were critical in the lives of the Plains tribes. Native Americans used the animals for food and their hides for clothing and to make shelter. They also made tools and ceremonial items from the bison. They relied on the bison for “nearly everything to survive physically and spiritually,” points out the National Wildlife Federation.

野牛在平原部落的生活中是至关重要的。土著美国人用动物作为食物，用兽皮做衣服和搭建庇护所。他们还用野牛制作工具和仪式用品。国家野生动物联合会指出，他们“几乎一切都依靠野牛生存，无论在体力上还是精神上”。

Habitat Loss

栖息地的丧失

When bison roamed millions of acres, their grazing kept both the grasslands and herds healthy and diverse, according to the WWF. But in addition to hunting bison for food and sport, early settlers also cleared the land where the bison roamed. They worked to make room for their own livestock, which took away from the bison’s habitat, leaving the remaining bison with little land left.

据世界自然基金会称，当野牛在数百万英亩的土地上漫步时，它们的放牧使草原和牛群保持健康和多样化。但是除了猎取野牛作为食物，早期的定居者还开垦了野牛游荡的土地。他们努力为自己的牲畜腾出空间，这些牲畜夺走了野牛的栖息地，只留下少量的土地。

Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where wild bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Lidija Kamansky / Getty Images

Genetics

遗传

There are only about 30,000 bison currently in conservation herds (herds managed by government and conservation organizations). These small herd sizes result in a loss of genetic diversity, as the gene pool for breeding is so small.

目前只有大约3万头野牛属于保护群(由政府和保护组织管理的群)。由于繁殖的基因库太小，这些小畜群的规模导致了遗传多样性的丧失。

What We Can Do

我们能做什么

Although the bison’s numbers are nowhere near what they used to be, their population is stable and many call the animal a conservation success story.

虽然野牛的数量远不及过去，但它们的数量是稳定的，许多人称这种动物是保护的成功案例。

Various groups are working with national parks, Native American communities, and ranchers to restore bison to their natural habitat.

不同的组织正在与国家公园、土著美洲人社区和牧场主合作，将野牛恢复到它们的自然栖息地。

Co-founded in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt and Bronx Zoo Director William Hornaday, the American Bison Society is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society. The group’s goal is the cultural and ecological restoration of bison across North America. (You can donate to WCS for bison conservation.)

美国野牛协会是1905年由西奥多·罗斯福总统和布朗克斯动物园园长威廉·霍纳迪共同创立的，是野生动物保护协会的一部分。该组织的目标是恢复北美野牛的文化和生态。(你可以向WCS野牛保护进行捐赠。)

The WWF works with several tribal communities throughout the Northern Great Plains to restore bison and other wildlife, including the endangered black-footed ferret, to its original habitats. You can financially pledge to support the effort or symbolically adopt a bison.

世界自然基金会与北部大平原的几个部落社区合作，恢复野牛和其他野生动物，包括濒临灭绝的黑脚雪貂的原始栖息地。你可以在经济上承诺支持这项努力，或者象征性地收养一头野牛。

Established in 1992, the Intertribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to coordinate transferring bison from parks to tribal lands. The group worked with the National Bison Association to name the bison the national mammal of the U.S. as part of the Bison Legacy Act of 2016. You can donate to the group to help move bison to tribal plains.

美洲野牛部落委员会成立于1992年，与国家公园管理局合作，协调野牛从公园到部落土地的转移。该组织与美国国家野牛协会合作，将野牛命名为美国国家哺乳动物，作为2016年《野牛遗产法案》的一部分。你可以向该组织捐款，帮助将野牛迁移到部落平原。