動物虐待史悠久 大猩猩應受到人類善待

When it comes to the fascination with exotic species, the ancient Egyptians seem to have got there first.

說到對奇異物種的迷戀，古埃及人大概算是最早的。

Archaeologists working at a cemetery in Hierakonpolis, a thriving city by the Nile in the fourth millennium BC, have uncovered a zoo’s worth of skeletons of baboons, hippopotamuses, leopards, elephants and crocodiles.

在耶拉孔波利斯(Hierakonpolis)（前4千紀尼羅河畔一個繁榮城市）遺留下來的一個墓地工作的考古學家們，發現了足以組成一個動物園的動物骨骼，包括狒狒、河馬、豹子、大象和鱷魚。

These were not pampered pets; the remains reveal scars from beatings and broken bones from tethering.

它們並非嬌生慣養的寵物；遺骸上顯現出因毆打導致的疤痕和因被捆綁而斷裂的骨骼。

The rather cruel menageries of old have given way to modern zoos that prioritise conservation and welfare — but the propriety of keeping non-human primates in captivity is being questioned anew.

古代殘忍的動物牢籠已讓位於優先考慮動物保護和福利的現代動物園——然而，將非人類的靈長動物圈養是否恰當正重新遭到質疑。

Last week, London Zoo went into lockdown when a male gorilla escaped his enclosure.

最近倫敦動物園一度進入封鎖狀態，因爲一隻雄性大猩猩(Gorilla)逃出了他的籠子。

Kumbuka, a western lowland silverback, had managed to reach a secure keepers’ area and was tranquillised before being returned to his domain.

這隻名爲昆布卡(Kumbuka)的西部低地銀背大猩猩設法逃入了保育員區域，最後被麻醉槍擊中，送回其在動物園的領地。

Visitors later said he had seemed agitated beforehand.

後來有遊客反映，昆布卡此前似乎焦慮不安。

It is a happier ending than that enjoyed by Harambe, a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, who was shot dead in May after a young boy fell into his enclosure.

相比辛辛那提動物園今年5月因一名小男孩掉入籠內而遭射殺的大猩猩哈蘭貝(Harambe)，這是一個比較可喜的結局。

There are, incidentally, two earlier cases where gorillas have protected children in similar circumstances.

順便說一下，此前有過兩起大猩猩在類似情況下保護幼童的案例。

In the two latest incidents, both zoos acted appropriately — which is to say, in the public interest.

在最近這兩起事件中，兩家動物園都採取了適當的行動——也就是說，是從公衆利益出發。

And that, really, is the trouble with zoos: they are primarily for public interest.

而這其實也是動物園所面臨的麻煩：它們主要從公衆利益出發。

They educate, inform and inspire us about animals — we learn what they look like in the flesh and perhaps become more motivated to protect the natural world — but those worthy functions feel peripheral to the business of entertainment.

它們爲我們提供動物相關的教育、信息和啓發——讓我們親眼看到動物的真實模樣，或許讓我們變得更有動力去保護自然世界——但人們的感覺是，這些有價值的功能相對於娛樂業務只是外圍的。

How thrilling to gaze into the eyes of a gorilla and to see its almost humanlike temperament, with its stares, frowns and sulks.

直視大猩猩的雙眼，從中看到幾乎跟人類一樣的氣質，包括它的凝視、皺眉和慍怒，這是何等地令人震撼。

Sometimes, though, that thrill seems uncomfortably close to voyeurism.

然而有時候，這種震撼似乎很不妥地接近於偷窺。

Sir David Attenborough, the British naturalist and film-maker, suggested this week that visitors should observe these sensitive animals through peepholes in an effort to preserve their privacy.

英國自然主義者和電影製作人戴維•阿滕伯勒爵士(Sir David Attenborough)最近建議，遊客應該通過窺視孔來觀察這些敏感的動物，以此來保護它們的隱私感。

Gorillas — which are critically endangered because of habitat loss, the bushmeat trade and diseases such as Ebola — remind us, through their eerily familiar expressions, that we share an evolutionary kinship.

由於棲息地喪失、野味貿易和疾病（如埃博拉）而被列爲極度瀕危物種的大猩猩，通過它們與人類出奇近似的表情和性情提醒我們，我們共享着進化過程中的親緣關係。

Gorillas and humans belong to the order of primates, encompassing lemurs, monkeys and apes; DNA analysis suggests we last shared an ancestor about 10m years ago.

大猩猩和人類同屬於靈長目，這也包括狐猴、猴子和猿類；DNA分析似乎表明，我們在大約1000萬年前仍共享同一個祖先。

Chimpanzees are our closest relatives, with gorillas next in line; they can count and use tools, and appear to experience a range of emotions.

黑猩猩(Chimpanzees)是我們人類最近的親戚，大猩猩緊隨其後；它們會計數和使用工具，而且似乎還能體驗一系列的情感。

This has, rightly, led to a reduction in their use in scientific experiments; Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, has re¬newed her call for such experiments to be banned completely.

這正確地減少了它們在科學實驗中的使用；著名的靈長類動物學家簡•古多爾(Jane Goodall)再度呼籲徹底禁止這樣的實驗。

A recent, albeit failed, attempt to ascribe personhood to pet chimps, and fresh Californian laws against the use of killer whales for entertainment, also shows how our attitudes towards other species are evolving.

最近一個使寵物黑猩猩擁有人格的嘗試（儘管失敗了），以及加利福尼亞最新頒佈的禁止使用殺人鯨供人娛樂的法律，都表明了我們對其他物種的態度正在如何演變。

And that is why keeping gorillas in zoos feels like an outdated practice.

這也是爲什麼把大猩猩關在動物園裏感覺像一個過時的做法。

It may well be that these sanctuaries offer some insurance against extinction — but habitat protection has proved a better option for saving mountain gorillas.

很可能這樣的避難所在某種程度上爲動物滅絕提供了保險——但是棲息地保護已被證明是拯救山地大猩猩的更好選擇。

It is true that zoos offer those without money or the inclination to travel an opportunity to see beautiful animals first hand.

沒錯，動物園爲那些沒有錢或不打算遠行的人提供了一個機會，讓他們可以親眼看見這些漂亮的動物。

But what, exactly, entitles us to this privilege? Moreover, no matter how well-designed the enclosure, zoos are unnatural settings likely to elicit unnatural behaviours.

然而，究竟是什麼賦予了人類這樣的特權？更何況，這些籠子無論設計得有多好，動物園終究是非自然的環境，容易引發非自然的行爲。

Sir David’s outstanding natural history films are arguably more educational.

戴維•阿滕伯勒爵士的出色的自然歷史影片可以說更具教育意義。

Soon, virtual reality may provide a more authentic experience than watching a stressed-out gorilla banging on a zoo window.

很快，虛擬現實有望提供比看着一隻受不了壓力的大猩猩敲打動物園窗戶更加逼真的體驗，

For me, the most compelling reason to visit a zoo is that the admission price funds conservation in the wild.

對我而言，參觀動物園最有說服力的理由是：門票收入被用來資助野生環境保護。

It is an upfront, if mercenary, transaction: a visitor pays to be entertained and the captive primates pay an uncertain price in return.

這是一筆預付費（即便是從金錢角度）：遊客付錢享受娛樂，而籠中的靈長類動物付出不確定的代價。