Title:Does the US have a pet tiger problem?

There may be more captive tigers in the US than wild ones in the rest of the world. But in states like Texas that bristle at government interference, no-one really knows how many are being kept as pets.

美国可能比世界其他地方的野虎还多，但是在像得克萨斯州政府干涉时猛虎的州里，没有人真正知道有多少只被当作宠物。

Taj was a four-month-old tiger cub when purchased at a Texas truck stop by the driver of an 18-wheeler lorry. But after Taj began tearing up the truck's cab, the driver contacted Austin Zoo to get the animals off his hands. The zoo now looks after the fully grown 17-year-old Bengal tiger male.

Taj在被18轮货车司机在得克萨斯卡车的停车处购买时，还是一只有四个月的老虎幼崽。但是，当泰姬拆下卡车的驾驶室后，司机联系奥斯汀动物园，让他们把宠物从他的手中带走。动物园现在照顾完全长大的17岁的孟加拉虎雄性。

Taj is one of as many as 7,000 tigers living in the US either in zoos or privately owned, according to some estimates. That's nearly double the estimated 3,890 tigers still prowling in the wild around the world.

据一些估算，Taj是居住在美国的多达7,000只老虎之一，他们居住在动物园或私人拥有的地方，这个数字几乎是全世界野外游荡的3,890只老虎的两倍。

Many of America's tigers could be in people's backyards as pets, and often aren't registered, especially in states like Texas. No-one really knows just how many tigers there are out there.

美国的许多老虎都是靠宠物来生活的，而且往往没有登记，特别是在得克萨斯州，没人知道那里有多少老虎。

At the heart of this surprising tiger turnout is the very American notion of a God-given right to do one's own thing, including owning a pet - no matter how exotic - being an individual liberty that the state should not mess with.

这种令人惊讶的老虎产量的核心正是美国的观念，即上帝赋予自己做自己事情的权利，包括拥有一只宠物——不管多么奇特的——是个人自由，国家不应该参与。

"A man came up to me and called me a communist," Ben Callison, a former animal sanctuary director and animal welfare activist, describes the reaction after he addressed a US Agricultural Department conference on the problems with exotic pets. "People say you are trying to take away their rights to own what they want, and do what they want."

卡里森(Ben Callison)曾担任动物庇护所主任和动物福利活动家。卡利森(Ben Callison)在美国农业部(American Agricultural Department)的一次会议上就奇特的宠物的问题发表了讲话。人们说，你试图夺走他们拥有他们想拥有的东西和做他们想要的事情的权利。

Others, however, want to see more state involvement due to public safety concerns. Many of America's exotic pets are not covered by the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which only applies to animals taken from the wild. Many of the tigers originate from breeders within America.

然而，另一些人则希望看到更多的国家参与公共安全事务，美国的许多奇特的宠物不在1973年的《濒危物种法》的范围之内，该法只适用于从野外采集的动物。许多老虎起源于美国的育种者。

"The vast majority of tigers in the US come from the irresponsible captive breeding to supply the cub petting industry," says Callison. "Tigers are smuggled in, but this is mostly a US-born issue."

卡里逊说：“美国绝大部分的老虎都是来自不负责任地饲养，以供应幼仔养殖业。

So the regulatory burden falls on individual states, and while regulations have increased - even in Texas - too often they prove ineffective, observers say.

观察人士称，监管负担落在各州身上，而尽管监管措施增加，即便是得克萨斯州，也往往证明是无效的。

"People want something unique, they look for the exotic - there's a whole host of large carnivorous pets across the country: black bears are common, people have African lions, mountain lions; and then there are the reptiles, alligators, crocodiles, constrictor snakes," says Nicole Paquette, vice-president of wildlife protection at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

“人们需要独一无二的东西，他们寻找异国情调——全国有一整套大型食肉宠物：黑熊很常见，人们有非洲狮子、山狮子；还有爬行动物、鳄鱼和鳄鱼，美国人类学会（HSUS）野生动物保护副会长尼科尔·帕奎特说。

It is easier to own a tiger than a dog that has been labelled dangerous in the state of Texas, which could have between 2,000 and 5,000 tigers.

在德克萨斯州，一只老虎比被描述为危险的狗更容易拥有，这里可能拥有2,000至5,000只老虎。

"Texas is a conservative state and values personal liberties and the right to keep what you want," says Pamela Boich of the Texas Human Legislation Network, an animal welfare lobbying group.

德克萨斯州人类立法网(Pamela Boich)说：“德克萨斯州是一个保守的国家，重视个人自由和保持你想要的东西的权利。

"There's sense to that, but if it's at the price of animal welfare, that is wrong. You can buy a tiger online, it's just crazy."

“这有道理，但如果它以动物福利为代价，那就错了。你可以在网上买一只老虎，这简直太疯狂了。”

In 2001, Texas passed a law requiring owners of exotic pets to register them, after a tiger ripped off the arm of a young boy. But enforcement is left to the state's 254 counties, making it difficult to track unregistered tigers.

2001年，在一只老虎撕下一只男孩的手臂后，得克萨斯州通过了一项法律，要求拥有异国宠物的人对其进行注册，但强制执行工作则留待该州的254个县，因此难以追踪未注册的老虎。

"Texas is a home rule state, which means it gives a lot of authority to local jurisdictions," says Chris Van Deusen, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, noting that only about 50 tigers are currently recorded.

得克萨斯州卫生部发言人克里斯·范德乌森(Chris Van Deusen)表示：“得克萨斯州是个居家规则国家，这意味着它赋予地方管辖权很多权力。”

This lack of oversight raises concerns about animals escaping, especially from a combination of the powerful hurricanes and storms that rake the region and often shoddy enclosures.

缺乏监督的饲养引起了人们对动物逃跑的担忧，特别是飓风和暴风雨肆虐该区域。

"There's no enforcement of standards for enclosures," Boich says.

When a tiger was found wandering the streets of Houston in 2016, it turned out the female tiger had been evacuated from a nearby rescue farm because of intense flooding. But the person who had been given the tiger for safekeeping was not adequately prepared - and it escaped.

2016年，一只老虎在休斯顿的街道上游荡时，由于洪水剧烈，一只母虎已从附近的救援农场中逃跑。但是，老虎的保管者没有作好充分的准备，于是它就逃走了。

Floods and hurricanes notwithstanding, Texas's climate is usually very amenable for tigers, meaning they can live outside year round, without the need for winter quarters, says John Gramieri, general curator at Austin Zoo.

格拉米利(John Gramieri)说，尽管洪水和飓风，得克萨斯州的气候对老虎通常都很适宜，这意味着他们能够在一整年都在外生活，不需要冬天的住所。

He notes how Texas's enormous size, abounding in relatively cheap ranching land, also helps.

他指出，得克萨斯州巨大的规模，在相对便宜的大规模的大牧场，对此也有所帮助。

"You're not going to have a tiger in Brooklyn as easily - Texas lends itself to keeping these animals," Mr Gramieri says.

格拉米利说：“你不可能像得克萨斯州那样在布鲁克林养一只老虎。

Texas is also well-positioned for the cross-border trade in tigers with Mexico. Exotic animal seizures at the border used to be mostly birds and reptiles coming from Mexico, but the trade has reversed with mostly tigers and cats bred in the US being smuggled into Mexico.

得克萨斯州还处于与墨西哥的跨界老虎贸易的有利地位。边境地区动物缉获量大多是来自墨西哥的鸟类和爬行动物，但贸易出现逆转，大多数是在美国饲养的老虎和猫被偷运到墨西哥。

Most estimates of America's tiger numbers stem from a 2005 study by Brian Werner of the Tiger Missing Link Foundation, which estimated America had just under 5,000 tigers in zoos, sanctuaries and individual ownership.

美国虎数量的评估主要来自虎密林联系基金会(Tiger Missing Link Foundation)的布赖恩·沃纳(Brian Werner)2005年进行的一项研究。

The Feline Conservation Federation did its first big cat census in 2011, and in 2016 completed a five-year follow-up to establish population trends.

2011年，费利恩养护联合会进行了第一次大型猫普查，2016年完成了五年后续工作，以确定数量趋势。

It reported the total number of big cats in the US fell from 6,563 in 2011, to 5,144, a decrease of 22%. The total number of facilities holding big cats fell 24%, from 718 to 548.

报告称，美国养大猫的人数从2011年的6,563人降至5,144人，下降了22%，养大猫的设施总数从718降至548，下降了24%。

Why the decline? According to the Feline Conservation Federation, the dropping figures reflect an overall ageing population "as well as many facilities discontinuing the keeping of big cats".

为什么会减少？根据费利恩保护联合会的说法，下降的数字反映了人口总体老龄化，"以及许多停止保存大猫的设施"。

"Surely more education and some legislation has helped," says Pamela Boich.

Pamela Boich说：“当然，更高的教育程度，以及一些立法也有所帮助。”

"My personal theory is that younger generations are more informed on the issues and will not patronise places that keep or breed them. Animal welfare groups are also working to get custody of the animals as they hear of them."

“我的个人理论是，年轻一代对问题的了解更多，不会光顾那些圈养或繁殖它们的地方，动物福利团体一旦听说这些动物也努力得到它们的监护权。”

One of the major concerns is tigers kept at roadside zoos, which often aren't accredited or noted by surveys.

主要关注问题之一是路边动物园里的老虎，这些动物往往没有经过调查确认或注意。

"We call these substandard zoos, and there are thousands of them all over the country," Paquette says. "Not all have tigers, but many do."

“我们称这些为低于标准的动物园，全国有数千个，”帕奎特说，“并不是所有人都有老虎，但是很多动物园都有。”

In addition, the likes of state fairs, pay-to-play facilities and even shopping malls drive demand for tigers nationally.

此外，诸如州庆典、付费游戏设施甚至购物中心等也推动了全国对老虎的需求。

"People love getting their pictures taken with tiger cubs," says Angela Culver, media director of In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center in Texas, which houses 78 big cats, including about 35 tigers.

得克萨斯州In-Sync野生动物救援教育中心的媒体主任Angela Culver说：“人们喜欢拿虎幼仔拍摄的照片，那里有78只大猫，包括大约35只老虎。

"Often they are kept on a bottle too long to keep them artificially small, and malnourished so they can be more easily handled; then they are either sold off, used for breeding or euthanised unless a sanctuary steps in - it's a vicious cycle."

"他们常常被保存在一个瓶子上时间太长，以至于不能让它们人为的小并且营养不良，那样的情况他们就能更容易被控制；然后要么被卖掉，用来繁殖，要么被安乐死，除非采取保护措施，这是一个恶性循环。

One school in Florida even had a caged tiger as star attraction at its senior prom party, it was widely reported last month.

佛罗里达州的一所学校在其高级舞会上甚至有一只被关在笼子里的老虎作为明星来吸引别人，这在上个月被广泛报道。

But captive tigers often have diseases and other traumas, including the wrong diet and lack of nutrients.

但是，被俘老虎经常患有疾病和其他创伤，包括饮食不当和缺乏营养。

It would cost about $200 a week in meat to adequately feed your 400-pound pet tiger, and declawing them involves the amputation of each toe bone.

每周要花200美元左右的肉来充分喂食你400磅的宠物虎，以及为它们除去爪子，包括切除脚趾的骨头。

Some develop serious muscular atrophy from spending a life in small enclosures with no room to roam.

一些老虎在毫无空间漫步的圈养地中度过一生，从而出现了严重的肌肉萎缩。

"In the wild a tiger's territory can be 20 square miles or more," Callison says. "If they spend their entire captive lives in a space equivalent to that of a bedroom the physical and psychological damage is extensive."

“在野外一只老虎的领土可以达到二十平方英里或更大，”Callison说，“如果他们在一个相当于卧室那么大的空间里度过他们全部的牢房生活，那么肉体和精神上的伤害就大了。”

Since 1990, more than 22 people have died and nearly 500 have been injured by captive big cats and primates nationwide, according to the HSUS.

据HSUS称，自1990年以来，全国共有22人死亡，近500人受伤。

America already has a sizeable population of indigenous wild animals. It's estimated there are 300,000 black bears, along with 30,000 mountain lions (also known as cougars), and 1,500 grizzly bears.

美国已经有相当数量的土著野生动物，估计有30万黑熊，还有3万头山狮子（又名库加斯）和1500只灰熊。

But statistics indicate that attacks by wild animals are exceedingly rare. A 2017 report by Stanford University concluded that between 2008 and 2015, of the 1,610 animal-related fatalities in the US, the largest proportion were due to the likes of cattle and horses, followed by venomous animals and dogs.

但是统计数据表明，野生动物的攻击极为罕见。斯坦福大学2017年的一份报告得出结论，在2008至2015年间，在美国的1,610例与动物相关的死亡中，比例最大的是牛和马，其次是有毒的动物和狗。

"A mother bear with her cubs can be a dangerous situation if she feels they are threatened, but if you take proper precautions that's exceedingly unlikely to happen," Callison says.

卡利逊说：“如果宝宝觉得受到威胁，母亲会忍受这种危险，但是如果你采取适当的预防措施，这就极不可能发生了。

"It's horses and farm animals that cause more deaths because of the sheer quantities and close proximity of humans working with them."

“ 由于这些动物数量极多并且人类与这些动物近距离的共同工作 , 马和农场动物造成更多的死亡 。 ”

Those lobbying for more regulations ultimately want a federal ban on the breeding of and new ownership of dangerous animals, though they say it's a hard sell due to people's distrust of big government.

那些要求制定更多法规的游说者们最终希望联邦政府禁止危险动物的繁殖和新的所有权，尽管他们表示，由于人们对大政府的不信任，这是很难出售的。

Even if such legislation passed, and law enforcement and other agencies worked out a strategy to capture illegally-owned tigers, that still leaves the question of what to do with them. Zoos and animal sanctuaries say they already have more tigers than they can take.

即使这些立法获得通过，执法部门和其他机构也制定了一项战略，以抓捕非法拥有的老虎，这仍然留下了如何对待这些老虎的问题。动物园和动物保护区说，他们已经有比他们能容纳的更多的老虎。

In the meantime, changing public attitudes may well be more effective, those with animal welfare organisations say.

同时，有动物福利组织的人士称，改变公众态度可能更有效。

"People think if they raise an animal from it being a baby then it won't be aggressive, but these animals are still wild, it's in their DNA," Culver says.

库弗说：“人们以为，如果他们从一只动物还是婴儿的时候就开始饲养，它就不会有攻击性，但是这些动物还是野性的，这在它们的DNA里。

"The animal might not mean to hurt you, but they are so much stronger- it might want to play and will just rake your arm. Even bobcats pack a punch, let me tell you."

“这只动物可能不会伤害你，但是它们非常强大——可能希望玩耍，并且会扯掉你的手臂。”