大猩猩應(yīng)受到人類善待

When it comes to the fascination with exotic species, the ancient Egyptians seem to have got there first. Archaeologists working at a cemetery in Hierakonpolis, a thriving city by the Nile in the fourth millennium BC, have uncovered a zoo’s worth of skeletons of baboons, hippopotamuses, leopards, elephants and crocodiles. These were not pampered pets; the remains reveal scars from beatings and broken bones from tethering.

說到對奇異物種的迷戀，古埃及人大概算是最早的。在耶拉孔波利斯(Hierakonpolis)(前4千紀尼羅河畔一個繁榮城市)遺留下來的一個墓地工作的考古學(xué)家們，發(fā)現(xiàn)了足以組成一個動物園的動物骨骼，包括狒狒、河馬、豹子、大象和鱷魚。它們并非嬌生慣養(yǎng)的寵物;遺骸上顯現(xiàn)出因毆打?qū)е碌陌毯酆鸵虮焕壎鴶嗔训墓趋馈?/p>

The rather cruel menageries of old have given way to modern zoos that prioritise conservation and welfare — but the propriety of keeping non-human primates in captivity is being questioned anew. Last week, London Zoo went into lockdown when a male gorilla escaped his enclosure. Kumbuka, a western lowland silverback, had managed to reach a secure keepers’ area and was tranquillised before being returned to his domain. Visitors later said he had seemed agitated beforehand.

古代殘忍的動物牢籠已讓位于優(yōu)先考慮動物保護和福利的現(xiàn)代動物園——然而，將非人類的靈長動物圈養(yǎng)是否恰當正重新遭到質(zhì)疑。最近倫敦動物園一度進入封鎖狀態(tài)，因為一只雄性大猩猩(Gorilla)逃出了他的籠子。這只名為昆布卡(Kumbuka)的西部低地銀背大猩猩設(shè)法逃入了保育員區(qū)域，最后被麻醉槍擊中，送回其在動物園的“領(lǐng)地”。后來有游客反映，昆布卡此前似乎焦慮不安。

It is a happier ending than that enjoyed by Harambe, a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, who was shot dead in May after a young boy fell into his enclosure. There are, incidentally, two earlier cases where gorillas have protected children in similar circumstances.

相比辛辛那提動物園今年5月因一名小男孩掉入籠內(nèi)而遭射殺的大猩猩哈蘭貝(Harambe)，這是一個比較可喜的結(jié)局。順便說一下，此前有過兩起大猩猩在類似情況下保護幼童的案例。

In the two latest incidents, both zoos acted appropriately — which is to say, in the public interest. And that, really, is the trouble with zoos: they are primarily for public interest. They educate, inform and inspire us about animals — we learn what they look like in the flesh and perhaps become more motivated to protect the natural world — but those worthy functions feel peripheral to the business of entertainment. How thrilling to gaze into the eyes of a gorilla and to see its almost humanlike temperament, with its stares, frowns and sulks.

在最近這兩起事件中，兩家動物園都采取了適當?shù)男袆?mdash;—也就是說，是從公眾利益出發(fā)。而這其實也是動物園所面臨的麻煩：它們主要從公眾利益出發(fā)。它們?yōu)槲覀兲峁﹦游锵嚓P(guān)的教育、信息和啟發(fā)——讓我們親眼看到動物的真實模樣，或許讓我們變得更有動力去保護自然世界——但人們的感覺是，這些有價值的功能相對于娛樂“業(yè)務(wù)”只是外圍的。直視大猩猩的雙眼，從中看到幾乎跟人類一樣的氣質(zhì)，包括它的凝視、皺眉和慍怒，這是何等地令人震撼。

Sometimes, though, that thrill seems uncomfortably close to voyeurism. Sir David Attenborough, the British naturalist and film-maker, suggested this week that visitors should observe these sensitive animals through peepholes in an effort to preserve their privacy.

然而有時候，這種震撼似乎很不妥地接近于偷窺。英國自然主義者和電影制作人戴維·阿滕伯勒爵士(Sir David Attenborough)最近建議，游客應(yīng)該通過窺視孔來觀察這些敏感的動物，以此來保護它們的隱私感。

Gorillas — which are critically endangered because of habitat loss, the bushmeat trade and diseases such as Ebola — remind us, through their eerily familiar expressions, that we share an evolutionary kinship. Gorillas and humans belong to the order of primates, encompassing lemurs, monkeys and apes; DNA analysis suggests we last shared an ancestor about 10m years ago.

由于棲息地喪失、野味貿(mào)易和疾病(如埃博拉)而被列為極度瀕危物種的大猩猩，通過它們與人類出奇近似的表情和性情提醒我們，我們共享著進化過程中的親緣關(guān)系。大猩猩和人類同屬于靈長目，這也包括狐猴、猴子和猿類;DNA分析似乎表明，我們在大約1000萬年前仍共享同一個祖先。

Chimpanzees are our closest relatives, with gorillas next in line; they can count and use tools, and appear to experience a range of emotions. This has, rightly, led to a reduction in their use in scientific experiments; Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, has re­newed her call for such experiments to be banned completely. A recent, albeit failed, attempt to ascribe personhood to pet chimps, and fresh Californian laws against the use of killer whales for entertainment, also shows how our attitudes towards other species are evolving.

黑猩猩(Chimpanzees)是我們?nèi)祟愖罱?ldquo;親戚”，大猩猩緊隨其后;它們會計數(shù)和使用工具，而且似乎還能體驗一系列的情感。這正確地減少了它們在科學(xué)實驗中的使用;著名的靈長類動物學(xué)家簡·古多爾(Jane Goodall)再度呼吁徹底禁止這樣的實驗。最近一個使寵物黑猩猩擁有人格的嘗試(盡管失敗了)，以及加利福尼亞最新頒布的禁止使用殺人鯨供人娛樂的法律，都表明了我們對其他物種的態(tài)度正在如何演變。

And that is why keeping gorillas in zoos feels like an outdated practice. It may well be that these sanctuaries offer some insurance against extinction — but habitat protection has proved a better option for saving mountain gorillas.

這也是為什么把大猩猩關(guān)在動物園里感覺像一個過時的做法。很可能這樣的避難所在某種程度上為動物滅絕提供了保險——但是棲息地保護已被證明是拯救山地大猩猩的更好選擇。

It is true that zoos offer those without money or the inclination to travel an opportunity to see beautiful animals first hand. But what, exactly, entitles us to this privilege? Moreover, no matter how well-designed the enclosure, zoos are unnatural settings likely to elicit unnatural behaviours. Sir David’s outstanding natural history films are arguably more educational. Soon, virtual reality may provide a more authentic experience than watching a stressed-out gorilla banging on a zoo window.

沒錯，動物園為那些沒有錢或不打算遠行的人提供了一個機會，讓他們可以親眼看見這些漂亮的動物。然而，究竟是什么賦予了人類這樣的特權(quán)?更何況，這些籠子無論設(shè)計得有多好，動物園終究是非自然的環(huán)境，容易引發(fā)非自然的行為。戴維·阿滕伯勒爵士的出色的自然歷史影片可以說更具教育意義。很快，虛擬現(xiàn)實有望提供比看著一只受不了壓力的大猩猩敲打動物園窗戶更加逼真的體驗，

For me, the most compelling reason to visit a zoo is that the admission price funds conservation in the wild. It is an upfront, if mercenary, transaction: a visitor pays to be entertained and the captive primates pay an uncertain price in return.

對我而言，參觀動物園最有說服力的理由是：門票收入被用來資助野生環(huán)境保護。這是一筆預(yù)付費(即便是從金錢角度)：游客付錢享受娛樂，而籠中的靈長類動物付出不確定的代價。