西藏墨脱格当乡野生虎捕食家畜现状与保护建议

曾经在西藏东南的阔叶林中广泛分布的孟加拉虎，目前仅有一个小种群残留在墨脱县境内。2000年5－6月间，在大型家畜遭受野生虎捕食最严重的墨脱县格当乡展开调查，试图寻找减轻虎害的方法。结果表明：1994－1995年虎的捕食率达到最高，对牛和骡马的捕食率分别是17．9％和9．4％；但1996年后，捕食率分别降低到7．8％和1．8％，这可能与1996年当地曾捕杀过一头虎有关。1993－1999年间，全乡牛的数量下降了11％，但骡马数量上升了23％，这是因为当地为增加运输能力而从别处购得骡马。据反映，目前格当乡境内大约有4－5头虎。1997年和1999年，均见母虎和小虎同行，说明该种群尚有繁殖。在抽样的21户居民家中，1999年4月到2000年5月间，66．6％的人家有大型牲畜遭虎捕杀，共损失牛27头，马12匹,而自1993年以来，21户中共有18户（85．8％），有牲畜被杀记录，共计损失117头。其中对牛的捕食率达19．7％，对马达11．9％，平均每户损失牛1．2头，骡马0．5匹。非法狩猎减少了虎的猎物如野猪、羚牛等的数量，是老虎转向家畜的主要原因之一。虎害已对格当乡群众的经济造成较大负面影响。但格当乡以及周边地区保护着中国最后的野生孟加拉虎种群，为确保虎的长期生存同时减少人－虎冲突，建议改变目前放牧方式，尽可能联合放牧、增加看护；改善放牧地条件，清除牧场周围蕨草丛；减少对羚牛等有蹄类的猎杀，以减少对老虎猎物种群的破坏；对部分家畜移入棚内试行圈养，既保护家畜，又提高乳制品产量和增加农家肥料；实行多种经营方法，建议养一些山羊和家禽；政府应该帮助安置好部分愿意外迁的居民，这样既满足这些居民的需要，同时也减轻对当地野生动物种群的压力。

TIGER PREDATION ON LIVESTOCK IN GEDANG, MEDOG, SOUTHEAST TIBET

Once the distribution of tigers (Panthera tigris)extended throughout the broad-leaved forests of southeastern Tibet. These tigers are now extinct except for one remnant population in Medog County. From May to June 2000, a survey was conducted in Gedang Village (Xiang in Chinese), the only place in the county where losses of livestock to tigers are high. It was found that the amount of livestock killed was high in 1994 and 1995, but after that it dropped greatly, probably in part because one persistent livestock killer was shot in 1996. Between the early 1993 and late 1990s, the xiang's cattle population dropped by 11%. However, horses and mules increased by 23% because more animals were bought elsewhere for use in transport. In 1999, the xiang lost 7.8% of its cattle and 1.9% of its horses to tiger predation. 4-5 tigers including a female with large cub was reported by local officials in the area that year. A total of 21 households were interviewed. Of these a household lost on average 0.8 cattle and 0.2 horses during the previous 12 months; nine households had no losses.One reason that tigers are tempted by livestock is lack of sufficient wild prey. Widespread illegal hunting has greatly reduced tiger's principal prey population such as wild pig, takin, red goral, and mutjacs. Until recovery of wildlife populations, an effort must be made to reduce tiger predation on livestock. Conservation recommendations were as follows: (1) Villagers should herd and guard their animals cooperatively instead of permitting livestock to wander untended. (2) Overgrown abandoned fields, slopes covered with tall bracken fern, and thickets near villages should be cleared and converted to open pastures, with some of them fenced, to remove cover in which tigers can hide, and (3) Some animals could also be housed in stalls, especially in winter when much of the predation occurs.