悉尼，体型小巧、浑身长满毛发、机智而又充满魅力。当我穿越马来西亚婆罗洲密集潮湿森林中的保护中心木质条板小径迷宫时，第一次见到苏门答腊犀牛，这些词便涌上心头。那是1998年，我当时是该中心的一名热情的学生志愿者。当时，全球被认为大约有300头苏门答腊犀牛。我把这头雌性犀牛视为保护希望的象征。
Sydney, Small, hairy and cheekily charismatic. Those words sprung to mind when I first met a Sumatran rhinoceros after traversing the maze of wooden slatted paths at the conservation centre in the dense, humid forests of Malaysian Borneo. It was 1998 and I was an eager student volunteer at the centre. At that time, 300 Sumatran rhinos were thought to exist globally.I saw this female rhino as a symbol of conservation hope.
但如今，根据国际犀牛基金会2026年《犀牛现状报告》，全球剩余的苏门答腊犀牛不足50头。它们全部分布在印度尼西亚。爪哇犀牛同样稀有。虽然这些数据依赖于估算，但其趋势令人警觉。那么，是什么导致了这一下降？我们又该如何保护剩下的少数苏门答腊犀牛和爪哇犀牛？威武的哺乳动物在现代文化中，犀牛象征着力量、权力和安全。
But today, according to the International Rhino Foundation's 2026 State of the Rhino report, less than 50 Sumatran rhinos remain. All are found in Indonesia. The Javan rhino is just as rare. While these figures rely on estimates, the trajectory is alarming. So what is driving this decline? And how can we protect the few Sumatran and Javan rhinos that are left? Majestic mammalsIn modern culture, rhinos represent strength, power and security.
我们将其用作体育吉祥物，并将其出现在从汽车标志到安全装备品牌的各种事物中。它们在流行文化中的普遍存在可能导致我们低估其困境的紧迫性。被用作营销象征的物种往往被认为比实际更常见。目前仍有五种犀牛存活。作为野生动物兽医，我在动物园、保护区和野外工作期间，有幸了解了其中的四种。非洲是白犀牛和黑犀牛的家园，它们的种群数量在历史上曾大幅波动。
We use them as sports mascots and feature them in everything from car logos to safety equipment brands. Their ubiquity in popular culture may lead us to underestimate the urgency of their plight. Species used as marketing emblems are often considered more common than they truly are. There are five surviving species of rhinos. I have had the privilege of getting to know all but one while working as a wildlife veterinarian in zoos, sanctuaries and the wild. Africa is home to white and black rhinos, whose populations have fluctuated greatly throughout history.
喜欢水的印度独角犀牛生活在印度和尼泊尔，自1900年代初濒临灭绝以来，其数量一直在稳步恢复。这三种犀牛常见于动物园，也往往获得最多的公众关注。与它们的非洲和印度亲戚相比，苏门答腊犀牛和爪哇犀牛通常鲜为人知。
The water-loving greater one-horned rhino lives in India and Nepal and has seen a steady recovery from near extinction in the early 1900s. These three species can be found in zoos and tend to get the most public attention. Compared to their African and Indian relatives, Sumatran and Javan rhinos typically fly under the radar.
然而，它们濒临灭绝的状态表明这些动物急需帮助。最稀有的犀牛根据最新的《犀牛状况》报告，难以捉摸的爪哇犀牛和体型小、有毛的苏门答腊犀牛的未来现在尤其岌岌可危。分布是一个主要原因。目前大约有50头爪哇犀牛存活。它们全部生活在一个受保护的区域——爪哇岛的乌戎库隆国家公园。由于附近的构造板块汇聚，该地区容易发生地震和海啸。
However, their critically endangered status signals these animals are in urgent need of assistance. The rarest rhinosAccording to the latest State of the Rhino report, the future of the elusive Javan rhino and the small, hairy Sumatran rhino is now especially precarious. Distribution is a major reason why. There are roughly 50 surviving Javan rhinos. All live in a single protected area, Ujung Kulon National Park on the island of Java. Due to nearby converging tectonic plates, it is vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
一次自然灾害就可能彻底消灭爪哇犀牛种群。相比之下，剩下的几十头苏门答腊犀牛分散在两个岛屿上的许多亚种群中。这意味着野生个体遇到同类的机会非常渺茫，甚至不可能。由于没有找到合适配偶的前景，孤立的幸存者注定将成为其基因谱系的终点。寻找庇护所为了保护这一破碎的种群，国际犀牛基金会于1996年建立了苏门答腊犀牛保护区。
One natural disaster could well exterminate the Javan rhino population. In contrast, the several dozen remaining Sumatran rhinos are scattered into many subpopulations, across two islands. This means the chance of a wild individual rhino encountering another of their kind is remote or even impossible. With no prospect of finding a compatible mate, isolated survivors are destined to be the end of their genetic line. Searching for sanctuaryTo protect this fragmented population, the International Rhino Foundation established the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in 1996.
该保护区位于苏门答腊岛的望加锡国家公园。目前，保护区内有十头经过密集管理、半圈养的苏门答腊犀牛。这些驻地动物生活在面积广阔的自然雨林栖息地。它们获得营养供给、安全保障和定期兽医护理。通过自然或辅助繁殖增加犀牛数量需要耐心。雌性在大约16个月的怀孕期后会产下一头幼崽，可能需要几年时间才能再次繁殖。
It is located in Way Kambas National Park on the island of Sumatra. The sanctuary is currently home to ten intensively managed, semi-captive Sumatran rhinos. The resident animals live in large, natural rainforest habitats. They are provided with nutrition, security and regular veterinary care. Increasing rhino numbers through natural or assisted breeding requires patience. Females give birth to a single calf after about 16 months of pregnancy. It may be several years before they have another.
一些犀牛存在不育问题，这是被公认的。该保护区已经取得了一些来之不易的成功。在2012年至2023年间，共有五头苏门答腊犀牛幼崽在此出生，这部分得益于紧密的繁殖管理和监测。令人兴奋的是，当局刚刚宣布有两起新的妊娠。相机陷阱录像还证实了近年来在乌戎库隆最多有五头爪哇犀牛幼崽出生。
Infertility is a recognised problem in some rhinos. The sanctuary has had some hard-won successes. Five Sumatran rhino calves were born there between 2012 and 2023, in part due to close reproductive management and monitoring. Excitingly, authorities have just announced two new pregnancies. Camera-trap footage has also confirmed the births of up to five Javan rhino calves in Ujung Kulon in recent years.
这些珍贵的出生在某种程度上有助于这两个物种的恢复。偷猎的危害偷猎一直是所有犀牛物种的持续威胁。令人担忧的是，全球对犀牛角的需求正在增加，尤其是在中国和越南。除了在传统医学中的长期使用外，犀牛角如今还在展示财富和地位方面发挥作用，特别是在商业圈子里。仅在2019年至2023年之间，偷猎者就杀死了多达26头爪哇犀牛。
These precious births go some way towards recovery of these two species. The perils of poachingPoaching is a persistent threat to all rhino species. Worryingly, global demand for rhino horn is increasing, especially in China and Vietnam. Besides its long-standing use in traditional medicine, rhino horn now plays a role in demonstrating wealth and status, particularly in business circles. Poachers killed as many as 26 Javan rhinos between 2019 and 2023 alone.
反偷猎策略包括行为改变运动，旨在推动社会和文化上对犀牛角使用和购买的不可接受性。政府也可能依赖情报主导的执法和对大型犯罪集团的破坏来制止偷猎者。虽然偷猎定罪和法庭判决正在增加，包括在印度尼西亚，但这还不足以让世界上的犀牛免受威胁。主动措施，如保护和恢复适合每个物种的栖息地，对犀牛种群的恢复至关重要。
Anti-poaching strategies include behaviour change campaigns, which focus on promoting social and cultural unacceptability of horn use and purchase. Governments may also rely on intelligence-led law enforcement and disruption to large crime syndicates to stop poachers. While poaching convictions and court sentences are increasing, including in Indonesia, this is not enough to keep the world's rhinos safe. Proactive measures, such as protecting and restoring habitat suitable for each species, are vital to the recovery of rhino populations.
这一点尤其重要，因为人类对野生地区的侵占日益增加。接下来该怎么办迁移——捕捉然后将动物释放到新地点——是保护世界犀牛的一种可能方式。最近的研究探讨了这一策略是否可以用于在东南亚其昔日分布范围内重建苏门答腊犀牛和爪哇犀牛的种群。保护当局可以从非洲犀牛的过去迁移中吸取经验，这些经验表明，寻找合适的栖息地、反偷猎保护和周密规划是这些工作成功的关键。更广泛地说，有效的犀牛保护依赖于拥有一支支持者大军。
This is particularly true as humans increasingly encroach on wild places. Where to from hereTranslocation – capturing and then releasing animals in a new place – is one possible way of protecting the world's rhinos. Recent research examined whether this strategy could be used to re-establish populations of Sumatran and Javan rhinos across their former range throughout Southeast Asia. Conservation authorities can learn from past translocations of African rhinos, which show finding suitable habitat, anti-poaching protection and careful planning are crucial to the success of these efforts. More broadly, effective rhino conservation relies on having an army of supporters.
当地社区应从与犀牛共同生活中获得切实的好处，例如通过创造就业机会以及分享生态旅游的收益。即使身处遥远地区，人们也可以通过支持保护组织和避免购买导致热带森林砍伐的产品来提供帮助。可持续的资金和政治承诺对于保护仍存的少数印度尼西亚犀牛至关重要。我希望年轻一代，包括我的未来学生，能够有幸亲眼看到一只小型、有毛的犀牛。
Local communities should tangibly benefit from living alongside rhinos, for example through job creation and by sharing in the proceeds of ecotourism. Even from afar, people can help by supporting conservation organisations and avoiding the purchase of products that contribute to tropical deforestation. Sustainable funding and political commitment are crucial to protecting the few Indonesian rhinos that remain. It's my wish that younger generations, including my future students, have the privilege of meeting a small, hairy rhinoceros for themselves. SCYSCY