Sounds cool, doesn't it?

我是個獅子保育人士。

Some people may have no idea what that means.

聽起來很酷吧！

But I'm sure you've all heard about Cecil the lion.

有些人可能不了解那是什麼，

[Cecil the Lion (2002-2015)]

但我相信你們都聽過塞西爾獅子。

(Lion roaring)

[ 塞西爾獅子（2002-2015）]

He roars no more.

（獅吼聲）

On the second of July, 2015,

牠的獅吼已成絕響，

his life was cut short when he was killed by a trophy hunter.

2015 年 7 月 2 日，

They say that you can become attached to the animals you study.

牠被一名戰利品獵人射殺而死。

That was the case for me with Cecil the lion,

有人說你會對研究的動物產生感情，

having known him and studied him for three years

我對塞西爾獅子就有這樣的感情。

in Hwange National Park.

我在辛巴威的萬基國家公園 認識並研究牠三年的時間，

I was heartbroken at his death.

牠的死讓我心痛萬分，

But the good thing to come out of this tragedy

但在這場悲劇當中令人欣慰的是，

is the attention that the story brought

有關的報導讓更多人關注 受到威脅的野生動物所處的困境。

towards the plight of threatened wild animals.

塞西爾死後，

After Cecil's death,

我自問：

I began to ask myself these questions:

如果塞西爾獅子鄰近的居民 參與保護牠的工作，

What if the community that lived next to Cecil the lion

事情會如何演變？

was involved in protecting him?

如果我在 10 歲而不是 29 歲時認識塞西爾，

What if I had met Cecil when I was 10 years old, instead of 29?

我或是班上同學 會不會改變牠的命運？

Could I or my classmates have changed his fate?

許多人都致力於不讓獅子消失，

Many people are working to stop lions from disappearing,

但其中多數人都並不是 那些國家的人或鄰近的居民，

but very few of these people are native to these countries

生活在獅子附近的居民 最適合就近來幫助這些獅子。

or from the communities most affected.

當地的人們應當站在前線， 為野生動物所面臨的挑戰解決問題。

But the communities that live with the lions

有時候，變革只有在受到衝擊的人 站出來領導時才會發生。

are the ones best positioned to help lions the most.

當地居民在對抗盜獵及野生動物 非法交易方面扮演很重要的角色，

Local people should be at the forefront

這些非法行為是獅子 和其他野生動物面臨的主要威脅。

of the solutions to the challenges facing their wildlife.

身為非洲黑人女性科學家，

Sometimes, change can only come

我認識的人總是很好奇地想知道，

when the people most affected and impacted take charge.

我是不是原本就想從事保育工作，

Local communities play an important role

因為他們很少認識 長得像我一樣的保育人士。

in fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade,

成長過程中，我不知道 野生動物保育也是一種職業。

which are major threats affecting lions and other wildlife.

第一次在自己的國家 看到野生動物時，

Being a black African woman in the sciences,

我已經 25 歲了，

the people I meet are always curious to know

而獅子和非洲野生犬類卻居住在 離我家只有幾英里的地方，

if I've always wanted to be a conservationist,

這在辛巴威很常見，

because they don't meet a lot of conservationists

因為即使野生動物 是我們的文化遺產，

who look like me.

很多人並不會直接接觸到牠們；

When I was growing up,

我小時候根本不知道 獅子就住在我家後院。

I didn't even know that wildlife conservation was a career.

當我踏進薩非谷保育區時，

The first time I saw a wild animal in my home country

那是 10 年前一個寒冷的冬晨，

was when I was 25 years old,

我到那裡研究非洲野生犬類， 那是我碩士研究計畫的一部分，

even though lions and African wild dogs

我對於周遭的美和寧靜 感到目眩神迷，

lived just a few miles away from my home.

我覺得自己找到熱情和此生的目的。

This is quite common in Zimbabwe,

那天我做了一個承諾：

as many people are not exposed to wildlife,

我要為保護動物奉獻一生。

even though it's part of our heritage.

我想起小時候在辛巴威上學的日子，

When I was growing up,

以及我同校的其他小孩，

I didn't even know that lions lived in my backyard.

如果我們當時有機會 與野生動物互動，

When I stepped into Savé Valley Conservancy

也許有很多同學 現在會與我並肩工作。

on a cold winter morning 10 years ago

除非當地居民想保護野生動物， 並與牠們共存，

to study African wild dogs for my master's research project,

所有在保育方面的努力 可能都會徒勞無功。

I was mesmerized by the beauty and the tranquility that surrounded me.

這些居民和野生動物 生活在同一個生態系中，

I felt like I had found my passion and my purpose in life.

必須付出必要的代價。

I made a commitment that day

如果他們與野生動物 沒有直接的關聯，也沒有因此受益，

that I was going to dedicate my life to protecting animals.

就沒有理由要保護牠們。

I think of my childhood school days in Zimbabwe

如果當地社會不保護 他們的野生動物，

and the other kids I was in school with.

再多外來的干預 或援助都不會有效果。

Perhaps if we had a chance to interact with wildlife,

所以現在需要做什麼？

more of my classmates would be working alongside me now.

保育人士必須優先推行環境教育，

Unless the local communities want to protect and coexist with wildlife,

並幫助民眾發展更多技能 來保育野生動物。

all conservation efforts might be in vain.

我們必須將學童 和民眾帶到國家公園，

These are the communities that live with the wild animals

讓他們有機會與野生動物建立關係，

in the same ecosystem

在各個階層的各項努力當中，

and bear the cost of doing so.

保育計畫必須考量到

If they don't have a direct connection

與野生動物共享家園人們的經濟。

or benefit from the animals,

另一個關鍵是，

they have no reason to want to protect them.

當地的保育人士 必須參與每一項保育工作。

And if local communities don't protect their wildlife,

如果我們要建立彼此的信任 並將保育的觀念深植於民眾心裡，

no amount of outside intervention will work.

身為地方保育人士， 我們面臨很多阻礙，

So what needs to be done?

像是當面的歧視 一直到固有文化的隔閡。

Conservationists must prioritize environmental education

但我不會放棄我的努力，

and help expand the community's skills to conserve their wildlife.

我會繼續引導當地住民社會 共同來為地球的生存而奮鬥。

Schoolchildren and communities must be taken to national parks,

我請求大家來與我站在同一陣線，

so they get a chance to connect with the wildlife.

我們必須主動去除 這些我們自己造成的阻礙，

At every effort and every level,

也就是不要再將當地住民 排除在保育行列之外。

conservation must include the economies of the people

我奉獻我的一生來保護獅子，

who share the land with the wild animals.

一旦我的鄰居認識了 住在隔壁的野生動物，

It is also critical that local conservationists

我知道他們也會願意 和我一樣這麼做。

be part of every conservation effort,

謝謝大家。

if we are to build trust and really embed conservation into communities.

（掌聲）（歡呼聲）

As local conservationists, we face many hurdles,

from outright discrimination to barriers because of cultural norms.

But I will not give up my efforts

to bring indigenous communities to this fight

for the survival of our planet.

I'm asking you to come and stand together with me.

We must actively dismantle the hurdles we have created,

which are leaving indigenous populations out of conservation efforts.

I've dedicated my life to protecting lions.

And I know my neighbor would, too,

if only they knew the animals that lived next door to them.

Thank you.

(Applause)