And it's not just the rise of infrastructure – it's the purposeful decline of many natural predators.

而這不僅僅是基礎設施的興起--是許多天敵的有目的性的衰落。

Before European colonists came to America, the gray wolf population looked something like this:

在歐洲殖民者來到美洲之前，灰狼的數量是這樣的。

looked something like this. But by the 1930s, that vast, thriving

看起來像這樣。但到了20世紀30年代，那個巨大的，繁榮的... ...

population looked more like this. In a matter of a few decades European

人口看起來更像這樣。在短短几十年的時間裡，歐洲

settlers had trapped, poisoned, and shot the gray wolf nearly out of existence in

定居者曾誘捕、毒殺、射殺灰狼，使其幾乎不復存在。

the lower 48. Today, that map looks a little more like this.

下48區。今天，這張地圖看起來更像這樣。

The gray wolf has been on the endangered species list since 1974 and

自1974年起，灰狼就被列入瀕危物種名錄，並。

those decades of restoration efforts have recovered the population to a few

經過數十年的恢復努力，已經將種群恢復到少數幾個。

key locations, though nowhere near where it used to be.

關鍵位置，雖然遠不及以前的位置。

But in 2019 the Fish and Wildlife Service filed this – It's a proposal to remove the animal from the

但在2019年，魚類和野生動物管理局提交了這份--這是一份從動物中移除的提案。

endangered species list nationwide, arguing that the gray wolf is no longer

全國瀕危物種名錄，認為灰太狼不再是

threatened. A hundred scientists responded with a letter, urging the Fish

威脅。百名科學家回信，敦促魚兒的

and Wildlife Service to rescind the proposal saying, "it's way too soon."

和野生動物管理局撤銷該提案，說："這太快了。"

So, when are we done protecting the gray wolf?

那麼，我們什麼時候才能保護好灰狼呢？

In 1973 President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. It allows the

1973年，尼克松總統簽署了《瀕危物種法》。該法允許

Fish & Wildlife Service to protect certain species from extinction by

魚類和野生動物管理局通過以下方式保護某些物種免於滅絕。

limiting hunting, trapping, and killing. When the government decides that a

限制狩獵、誘捕和殺戮。當政府決定，一個

species is sufficiently recovered, they're removed from the endangered

物種得到充分恢復，它們就會從瀕危物種名單中刪除。

species list or "delisted" and they release management of the species back

物種名錄或 "除名"，他們將該物種的管理權放回

to the States. Unsurprisingly this is a lot more

到美國。不出所料，這是多

complicated than it sounds.

比它的聲音複雜。

The federal government is pretty efficient at

聯邦政府在以下方面相當有效率

listing species when it's the right thing to do

在正確的情況下，將物種列入名單。

but delisting that's different.

但退市那就不同了。

This is John Vucetich who studies wildlife ecology at Michigan Tech University.

我是約翰-武西奇，他在密歇根理工大學研究野生動物生態學。

In the entire 40-plus years of the

在整個40多年的時間裡。

Endangered Species Act there have only been in the neighborhood of a dozen

瀕臨滅絕物種法》中只有十幾只。

delistings. We're far less experienced at that.

除名。我們在這方面的經驗遠遠不足。

The Fish and Wildlife Service has tried to delist the gray wolf in certain states before,

漁業和野生動物管理局之前曾試圖將灰狼從某些州的名單中除名。

and was met with a bunch of lawsuits from conservationists and environmental groups.

並遭到了保護主義者和環保組織的一堆訴訟。

The reason it's so challenging to delist an animal like the gray wolf

像灰太狼這樣的動物，之所以除名這麼有挑戰性

lies in the law itself.

在於法律本身。

The easy way to understand the obligations of the Endangered Species

輕鬆理解《瀕危物種》義務的方法。

Act is that a species is recovered and no longer requires federal protection

該法是指一個物種已經恢復，不再需要聯邦保護。

when it's no longer at risk of extinction.

當它不再有滅絕的危險時。

So let's zoom out on that map from earlier with this in mind.

所以，讓我們帶著這個問題把剛才的那張地圖放大。

The gray wolf is not at risk of extinction.

灰狼沒有滅絕的危險。

There have always been a whole bunch of wolves in Canada and in Russia. So if we lost

在加拿大和俄羅斯，一直都有一大群狼。所以如果我們失去了

every single wolf in all of the United States even Alaska

全美所有的狼，甚至阿拉斯加的狼

they're not at risk of extinction.

他們不是在滅絕的風險。

But the thing is the Endangered Species Act is narrower than that.

但問題是《瀕危物種法》比這更窄。

The legal definition of an endangered species is "one that is at

瀕危物種的法律定義是 "瀕臨滅絕的物種"。

risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range."

在其全部或大部分分佈範圍內有滅絕的危險"。

This is the phrase that has been heavily debated in court over the gray wolf.

這句話在法庭上因灰太狼而備受爭議。

Because while somewhere around 6,000 wolves may roam here many more used to roam here.

因為這裡可能有大約6000只狼，但更多的狼曾經在這裡遊蕩。

Meaning the animal only exists in about 15% of its former range.

意味著該動物只存在於其以前的15%左右的範圍內。

So in order to delist the gray wolf we have to decide if that 15% is enough.

所以為了將灰太狼除名，我們必須決定這15%是否足夠。

The Endangered Species Act isn't clear on how to define "range."

瀕危物種法》對如何定義 "範圍 "並不明確。

When it comes to the gray wolf, the Fish and Wildlife Service argues that the law could mean

談到灰太狼，魚類和野生動物管理局認為，法律可能意味著

"current range." They're satisfied with that 15%, especially because of how tough

"目前的範圍"。他們對這15%很滿意，特別是由於這15%是多麼的艱難。

it would be to reintroduce the wolf to all places it used to roam.

那就是把狼重新引進到所有它曾經遊蕩過的地方。

Many sections of their former range are no longer suitable due to human encroachment.

由於人類的侵佔，它們以前的許多地區已不再適合。

And in places where wolves do coexist with people living alongside them is challenging.

而在狼群確實與人共存的地方，與狼群共存是一種挑戰。

I mean, wolves are happy to kill a cow or sheep if that's what it

我的意思是，狼很樂意殺死牛或羊，如果它是什麼

needs to do in order to live and get by, and of course that's tough – or can be

需要做的事情，以生活和生活，當然，這是艱難的 - 或者可以是。

tough – for the livestock owner.

艱難----對牲畜主來說。

Regardless, environmentalists interpret this law differently.

無論如何，環保主義者對這一法律的解釋是不同的。

They argue that the wolves range should be interpreted

他們認為，狼的範圍應該被解釋為

historically, and that until it's recovered in most of its historic

從歷史上看，直到它恢復了大部分的歷史。

territory it should fall into the protections of the Endangered Species Act

它應該屬於《瀕危物種法》的保護範圍。

It's this tension the law that makes delisting hard to figure out.

正是這種緊張的法律，讓退市變得難以琢磨。

Still, wolves have been successfully removed from the endangered species list

不過，狼還是被成功從瀕危物種名錄中刪除了。

in Idaho in Montana in 2011 and in Wyoming in 2017.

2011年在愛達荷州的蒙大拿州，2017年在懷俄明州。

The states are now in charge of their management and making sure

現在，各州負責其管理，並確保。

they retain a certain population. So in Idaho

他們保留一定的人口。所以在愛達荷州

for example, it's legal to hunt wolves with a permit but the state has promised

比如說，持證獵殺狼是合法的，但國家已經承諾

to keep the population at or over 15 packs. Under Idaho's law wolves do stay

以保持狼群數量在15群或以上。根據愛達荷州的法律規定，狼群確實要保持

alive, but they don't have room to branch out to new or historic territories where

活著，但他們沒有空間去擴展到新的或歷史上的領土，在那裡

they might thrive, which is likely what will happen if they're delisted across

他們可能會茁壯成長，這很可能是他們退市後的情況，如果他們在整個

the U.S. The current population will remain stable, but the wolves will only

美國目前的狼群數量將保持穩定，但狼群將只。

exist where they are right now – not where they could be or have been.

存在於他們現在的地方--而不是他們可能或已經存在的地方。

The endangered species act is pretty clear that when a species is endangered it does not

瀕危物種法很清楚，當一個物種瀕臨滅絕時，它並不。

matter if we can find why that species is valuable or not. The species is

事，如果我們能找到該物種為什麼有價值或不。該物種是

valuable – according to the Endangered Species Act – just because.

有價值--根據《瀕危物種法》--只是因為。

but figuring on a balance between protecting a species and thriving alongside them is tough –

但要在保護物種和與它們共同成長之間找到平衡點是很困難的。

especially when that species is a long-hated predator.

特別是當該物種是一種長期被憎恨的捕食者時。