8月8日20时许，云南北移亚洲象群14头大象已跨过元江，平安回归适宜栖息地。
亚洲象群通过老213国道元江桥（无人机照片，8月8日摄）。新华社发
A herd of wild Asian elephants that has wandered Southwest China's Yunnan province for more than 17 months appears to be heading home to its traditional habitat in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.在云南游荡了17个多月以后，亚洲象群正在回归原栖息地——西双版纳国家自然保护区的路上。
【知识点】
亚洲象（Asian elephants）为我国一级重点保护野生动物（wild animals under first-class national protection），在世界自然保护联盟濒危物种红色名录（ the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species）中被列为“濒危物种”（endangered species），主要分布在云南普洱、西双版纳、临沧3个州市，是亚洲现存最大和最具代表性的陆生脊椎动物（terrestrial vertebrate），也是维持森林生态系统的“工程师”。
云南省林业和草原局党组书记、局长万勇介绍：
The elephants were on Monday approximately 26 kilometers from Mojiang county, Pu'er city, one of their major habitats in Yunnan along with Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.
8月9日，象群距离普洱市墨江县辖区约26公里，该县是除西双版纳傣族自治州以外，亚洲象在云南的另一个主要栖息地。
后续，现场指挥部将继续科学引导，全力保障象群安全，帮助其尽快回归原栖息地。
象群离家17月，迁移500多公里
The herd of 14 elephants, ranging in age and size, has traveled more than 500 km.这14头亚洲象，年龄、体型各异，已经迁移了500多公里。
Sixteen elephants departed Xishuangbanna, but three of them dropped out of the trek and two calves were born en route. In July, a bull elephant that had broken away from the herd was sedated and returned to the nature reserve.
最初离开西双版纳时有16头象，途中有三头掉队，另有两只幼崽出生。今年7月，一头雄象离队，被麻醉后带回自然保护区。
Heading north, the herd passed through Pu'er, Honghe and Yuxi. In June, they reached the outskirts of Kunming, the provincial capital.
象群在北移途中经过了普洱、红河和玉溪等地。今年6月，它们抵达云南省省会昆明市郊外。
Local authorities deployed trucks, workers and drones to monitor the elephants 24 hours a day, evacuated roads for them to pass safely and lured them away from populated areas with food.
当地政府派出卡车、工作人员以及无人机24小时监测象群，为它们安全通过清空道路，用食物将它们从人口密集地区引开。
Nearly 180 metric tons of food, including pineapples and corn, has been fed to the herd, Wan said. Even as they encroached on communities, none of the elephants or people were injured.
途中投放菠萝、玉米等食物近180吨，在象群侵扰居民区期间，未造成人、象受伤。
【词汇讲解】
这里的encroach指“gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory”（慢慢地或偷偷地进入他人的领地），常用的搭配encroach on/upon something则表示“一步步占用，占据（时间、权利、土地等）”，比如：I resent it that my job is starting to encroach on my family life（我憎恶的是，我的工作开始越来越多地占用了我的家庭生活时间），They have promised that the development will not encroach on public land（他们承诺这个开发项目不会占用公共用地）。
在科学研究方面，北移亚洲象群为动物学家提供了近距离观测亚洲象栖息活动的机会。
北移亚洲象群专家组成员、国家林业和草原局亚洲象研究中心主任陈飞表示：
They can identify the direction of food and water resources very precisely. And they also showed great performances in solidarity and group decision-making. Their division of work is impressive, too.它们能精确识别食物和水源的方向，表现出了强大的团结和团队决策能力。象群内的分工也很明确。
未来还有可能北移
北移亚洲象群处置专家组成员、云南西双版纳国家级自然保护区管护局高级工程师沈庆仲表示：
It's likely that the elephants will head north again.象群可能会再度北移。
Historically, Asian elephants used to live in many parts of the country. Migration is in their nature. It helps the species expand its territory and have more chances to improve their gene pool by mating with different groups.
亚洲象曾经遍布全国多地，对它们而言，迁移是一种正常行为。迁移有助于野象寻找新的栖息地和开展种群间的基因交流。
加快推进亚洲象国家公园创建
The forestry department and the provincial government plan to develop a national park, which aims to provide habitat protection for the elephants and a balanced relationship with residents.国家林草局和云南省政府计划开发一处国家公园，为亚洲象群提供栖息地保护，同时促进人象和谐共存。
【相关词汇】
濒危物种 endangered species
极危物种 critically endangered species
易危物种 vulnerable species
陆生野生动物 wild terrestrial animals
水生动物 aquatic animals
家畜家禽 poultry and livestock
伴侣动物 companion animal
野生动物保护 wild animal protection
参考来源：中国日报、新华网
（中国日报网英语点津 Helen）
来源：中国日报网
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