時差N小時:不安的大象

Here's a gruesome hypothetical:If you and yourfamily were rounded up, and you were forced towatch as older relatives were killed, how would itaffect you?

設(shè)想這樣一個可怕的場景：你和家人遭受圍捕，你被迫目睹長輩被殺，這會對你產(chǎn)生怎樣的影響?

Needless to say, you'd be horrified.

毫無疑問，你嚇壞了。

You'd probably also be deeply disturbed for a longtime afterwards. Maybe forever.

你可能會在之后的很長一段時間內(nèi)都深感不安，或許這種感覺會持續(xù)一生。

For some non human species, that grisly scenario is all too common.

對于除人以外的一些生物而言，這種可怕的場景是十分常見的。

For instance, up until a fewdecades ago elephant populations were regularly culled.

比如幾十年前，大象會經(jīng)常遭受屠殺，借此控制它們的種群數(shù)量。

That is, family groups were herded into atight space so that hunters could shoot and kill theolder individuals.

捕獵者會將整個大象家族趕入一個狹小的空間，并槍殺其中一些年老的大象。

The practice was actually meant to help elephants, because park officials worried they'd growtoo numerous and overrun the area.

因為公園管理員擔(dān)心大象數(shù)量的增多會超出園區(qū)的負載限度，所以這種獵殺大象的行為實際上是在幫助它們。

But research has shown that the surviving elephants are often deeply disturbed.

但是調(diào)查表明，那些在獵殺中幸存下來的大象常常會深感不安。

One study foundthat elephants from a culled group had serious problems with social and otherbehaviors.

一項研究顯示，這些幸存的大象在社交和其他行為方面會出現(xiàn)嚴重的問題。

For example, a group of orphaned male elephants killed more than one-hundred rhinocerosesover adecade-behavior that's highly abnormal.

例如，一群失去親人的雄性大象在近十年中殺死了一百多頭犀牛。這是極端反常的行為。

Another study found that culling survivors responded chaotically to elephant calls broadcastbyscientists in a nearby jeep.

失去長輩即失去經(jīng)驗，另一項研究顯示，當科學(xué)家在那些幸存下來大象附近的一輛吉普車中播放大象的叫聲時，它們的回應(yīng)十分混亂。

The animals seemed at a loss-sometimes taking defensive measures,but not necessarily inresponse to calls from alien or more socially dominant females, as they normally would.

它們顯得茫然無措，有時還會采取防御措施。這并不像它們在正常情況下回應(yīng)外來客或是族群中地位更高的母象所表現(xiàn)出的那樣。

Scientists speculate that's because elephants typically learn these important behaviors fromtheir elders.

科學(xué)家推測這是因為大象通常會從長輩身上學(xué)到這些重要的行為。

And when those elders are culled or poached, the younger elephants may not learn how torespond to potential threats.

當長輩遭受屠殺或偷獵后，年幼的小象在面臨潛在威脅時會顯得不知所措。

Elephants that don't know how to defend themselves have less chance of surviving andreproducing.

不知道怎樣保護自己的大象，其幸存機率便會降低，繁殖能力也會減弱。

Although culling is no longer practiced, poaching is. And it may have similar effects.

盡管如今屠殺大象的行為已經(jīng)消失，但非法狩獵仍會產(chǎn)生類似的效果。