國家地理:佛羅里達(dá)美洲獅的回歸(5)

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As panthers strike out north of the Caloosahatchee River, they'll encounter land dominated by large ranches and farms. Roads cut through many of these areas, and the region is dotted with small, often expanding towns. One of the better-known cattle operations in south-central Florida is the 10,500-acre Buck Island Ranch, run by Gene Lollis, a sixth-generation Floridian.

當(dāng)美洲獅從卡魯沙哈奇河向北發(fā)展時，它們會遇到由大型牧場與農(nóng)場所主宰的一片土地。許多農(nóng)牧場為公路所穿越，整片區(qū)域內(nèi)還星羅棋布著一些往往在擴(kuò)張中的小城鎮(zhèn)。佛羅里達(dá)州中南部的巴克島牧場占地10500英畝，是當(dāng)?shù)刂囊蛔僚觯壳坝傻诹鹆_里達(dá)人吉恩·洛勒斯經(jīng)營。

On a March morning before sunrise, I head out on horseback with Lollis, who's wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and blue jeans, along with his son, Laurent, and a group of cowboys, to round up cattle in grasslands spotted with islands of cabbage palm and oak.

去年3月一個日出前的早晨，我和穿戴著牛仔帽、靴子和藍(lán)色牛仔褲的洛勒斯，以及他的兒子勞倫特和一群牛仔，一起騎馬去點(diǎn)綴著菜棕與櫟樹的草原上趕牛。

Like many ranches, Buck Island—owned by the Archbold Biological Station, a nearby ecological research and education facility—provides critical habitat for wildlife, including panthers.

就如同許多牧場一樣，隸屬于附近的生態(tài)研究暨教育中心阿奇波德生物站的巴克島牧場，為美洲獅等野生動物提供了重要的棲地。

As dogs bay and the cowboys corral their livestock, I ask Lollis, who leads the Florida Cattlemen's Association, how ranchers view the panther. "We're all pretty positive about them," he says. "They're part of the landscape."

隨著牧羊犬吠叫、牛群聚攏，我向領(lǐng)導(dǎo)佛羅里達(dá)牧牛協(xié)會的洛勒斯詢問牧場主對美洲獅的看法?！拔覀兊目捶ê芊e極，”他說：“它們是地理景觀的一部分?！?/p>

Generally speaking, the rancher and the panther face a common enemy: development, particularly new housing. Every ranch owner has had an offer from developers, Lollis says, adding that the issue is deeply personal -- ranches near Orlando where he worked as a young man have become subdivisions.

一般來說，牧場主與美洲獅有共同的敵人：開發(fā)，尤其是新住宅的開發(fā)。洛勒斯表示，每個牧場主都接到過開發(fā)商出價，他更補(bǔ)充道，這對他而言是非常個人的問題--他年輕時在奧蘭多附近工作過的牧場，已經(jīng)分割成為許多住宅用地。