How bees can keep the peace between elephants and humans | Lucy King

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Ever since I can remember,

自從我有記憶起，

African elephants have filled me with a sense of complete awe.

就對非洲象充滿敬畏之情。

They are the largest land mammal alive today on planet Earth,

牠們是今日活在地球上 最大的陸地哺乳類動物，

weighing up to seven tons,

重達七噸，

standing three and a half meters tall at the shoulder.

站起來到肩膀有三公尺半高。

They can eat up to 400 kilos of food in a day,

牠們一天能吃多達四百公斤的食物，

and they disperse vital plant seeds across thousands of kilometers

而且牠們能橫跨數千公里 散布重要的植物種子，

during their 50-to-60-year life span.

在牠們五六十年的壽命中。

Central to their compassionate and complex society are the matriarchs.

牠們溫情而複雜的社會 以女族長為中心。

These female, strong leaders nurture the young

這些強壯的雌性領袖培育下一代，

and navigate their way through the challenges of the African bush

導航穿越非洲叢林的挑戰，

to find food, water and security.

去尋找食物、水及安全。

Their societies are so complex,

牠們的社會非常複雜，

we're yet to still fully tease apart

我們尚未完全解開

how they communicate, how they verbalize to each other,

牠們如何溝通，如何互相表達，

how their dialects work.

牠們的語言如何運作。

And we don't really understand yet how they navigate the landscape,

我們還不是很了解 牠們怎麼在地景上找路，

remembering the safest places to cross a river.

記得從哪個地方渡河最安全。

I'm pretty sure that like me,

我確信各位大多像我一樣，

most of you in this room have a similar positive emotional response

對這些宏偉的動物 有類似的正面情緒反應。

to these most magnificent of all animals.

It's really hard not to have watched a documentary,

你很難在看過紀錄片之後，

learned about their intelligence

沒發現牠們有多聰明，

or, if you've been lucky, to see them for yourselves

或是如果你很幸運

可以在野外的遊獵之旅 親眼看到牠們。

on safari in the wild.

But I wonder how many of you

但我懷疑有多少人

have been truly, utterly terrified by them.

真的被牠們徹底嚇壞了。

I was lucky to be brought up in Southern Africa

我很幸運在南非在長大，

by two teacher parents

雙親都是老師，

who had long holidays but very short budgets.

他們的假期都很長， 但是預算都很短缺。

And so we used to take our old Ford Cortina Estate,

所以我們很常開著家裡的福特車，

and with my sister, we'd pile in the back,

我和我姊姊擠在後面，

take our tents and go camping in the different game reserves

我們帶著帳篷，

去南非各個鳥獸保留區露營。

in Southern Africa.

It really was heaven for a young, budding zoologist like myself.

對像我這樣剛剛展露頭角的 年輕動物學家來說那真是天堂。

But I remember even at that young age

但是我記得即使是那麼小的時候，

that I found the tall electric fences blocking off the game parks

我還是覺得用那麼高的電圍籬 封鎖住鳥獸保留區，

quite divisive.

還是挺有分裂感的。

Sure, they were keeping elephants out of the communities,

當然，圍籬會擋住大象不進到社區，

but they also kept communities out of their wild spaces.

但是這也會擋住社區， 不讓他們進入野外空間。

It really was quite a challenge to me at that young age.

在我那麼小的時候， 那對我還真是相當大的挑戰。

It was only when I moved to Kenya at the age of 14,

只有在我十四歲搬到肯亞的時候，

when I got to connect to the vast, wild open spaces of East Africa.

我與東非那片廣闊的 野外開放空間連結，

And it is here now that I feel truly, instinctively,

在那裡我才直覺感受到

really at home.

我回到家了。

I spent many, many happy years studying elephant behavior in a tent,

我花了許多年快樂的時光， 在帳篷內研究大象的行為，

in Samburu National Reserve,

地點在桑布魯國家保護區，

under the guideship of professor Fritz Vollrath and Iain Douglas-Hamilton,

在沃拉斯教授 及漢密爾頓教授的指導下，

studying for my PhD and understanding the complexities of elephant societies.

做博士班研究， 了解大象社會的複雜性。

But now, in my role as head of the human-elephant coexistence program

但是現在，

我身為「拯救大象」組織 人象共存計畫執行長，

for Save the Elephants,

we're seeing so much change happening so fast

我們看到了太多改變發生得太快，

that it's urged a change in some of our research programs.

敦促我們改變研究計畫的某些部分。

No longer can we just sit and understand elephant societies

我們不能一樣只坐著研究大象社會，

or study just how to stop the ivory trade,

或研究怎麼中止象牙交易就好，

which is horrific and still ongoing.

這種交易超可怕而且還持續著。

We're having to change our resources more and more

我們必須變更我們的資源，

to look at this rising problem of human-elephant conflict,

以關注人與大象之間 日益嚴重的衝突，

as people and pachyderms compete for space and resources.

因為人類及厚皮類動物 競爭空間及資源。

It was only as recently as the 1970s

也不過就是不久前的 1970 年代，

that we used to have 1.2 million elephants roaming across Africa.

我們還有一百二十萬頭 大象在非洲漫遊。

Today, we're edging closer to only having 400,000 left.

現在，我們正逐漸逼近 只剩下四十萬頭。

And at the same time period, the human population has quadrupled,

在同一時期，人類數量增長了三倍，

and the land is being fragmented at such a pace

而土地正以趕不及的速度分崩離析。

that it's really hard to keep up with.

Too often, these migrating elephants end up stuck inside communities,

這些遷徙大象的下場 太常是被困在社區內，

looking for food and water

尋找食物及水，

but ending up breaking open water tanks,

但是最後破壞了水桶，

breaking pipes

破壞了水管，

and, of course, breaking into food stores for food.

當然還跑進市場找食物。

It's really a huge challenge.

這真的是非常大的挑戰。

Can you imagine the terror

你可以想像有多恐怖嗎？

of an elephant literally ripping the roof off your mud hut

一頭大象從天而降， 一腳踹破你的小泥屋，

in the middle of the night

在深更半夜，

and having to hold your children away

你得緊緊抱著孩子躲得遠遠，

as the trunk reaches in, looking for food in the pitch dark?

因為牠長長的鼻子伸進來， 在黑漆漆的狀況下找食物？

These elephants also trample and eat crops,

這些大象也會踐踏、吃掉作物，

and this is traditionally eroding away

這已經在蠶食

that tolerance that people used to have for elephants.

大眾過去對大象的容忍度。

And sadly, we're losing these animals by the day

可悲的是，這些動物每天都在消失，

and, in some countries, by the hour --

在某些國家，甚至是以小時計，

to not only ivory poaching

不只是因為盜獵象牙，

but this rapid rise in human-elephant conflict

還有快速興起的人象衝突，

as they compete for space and resources.

因為他們相互爭奪空間及資源。

It's a massive challenge.

這是巨大的挑戰。

I mean, how do you keep seven-ton pachyderms,

我是說，你要怎麼防止 七噸重的厚皮動物，

that often come in groups of 10 or 12,

而且通常一次就十到十二頭一群，

out of these very small rural farms

來這些很小的農村，

when you're dealing with people

那裡的人

who are living on the very edge of poverty?

已經活在貧窮邊緣？

They don't have big budgets.

他們預算不多。

How do you resolve this issue?

你要怎麼解決這個問題？

Well, one issue is, you can just start to build electric fences,

有一個問題是，

你可以開始架設通電籬笆，

and this is happening across Africa,

目前非洲正在進行這件事，

we're seeing this more and more.

我們看到這種情形愈來愈多。

But they are dividing up areas and blocking corridors.

但是他們會把區域分成好多塊，

阻擋生態廊道。

And I'm telling you, these elephants don't think much of it either,

我要告訴你們， 這些大象也想不到那麼多了，

particularly if they're blocking a really special water hole

尤其是你的籬笆擋住了 對牠們真的很重要的水塘，

where they need water,

在牠們需要水，

or if there's a very attractive female on the other side.

或是另一邊剛好有 超吸睛的雌性在的時候，

It doesn't take long to knock down one of these poles.

不用多久這種桿子就會被踏扁。

And as soon as there's a gap in the fence,

只要籬笆上有個小縫隙，

they go back, talk to their mates

牠們就會回去跟同伴說，

and suddenly they're all through,

突然間牠們就通通跑來穿越籬笆，

and now you have 12 elephants on the community side of the fence.

然後你就有十二頭大象 在社區這邊出現。

And now you're really in trouble.

現在你真的有大麻煩了。

People keep trying to come up with new designs for electric fences.

大家不斷試著推出新款電籬笆。

Well, these elephants don't think much of those either.

嗯，這些大象也不怎麼把它當一回事。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So rather than having these hard-line, straight, electric,

所以與其用這些強硬、直接、通電，

really divisive migratory-blocking fences,

真的會阻擋遷徙、造成分裂的籬笆，

there must be other ways to look at this challenge.

應該還有其他的方法來看這個挑戰。

I'm much more interested in holistic and natural methods

我對具全面性，

以及在必要時能自然地 將大象與人分開的方法比較有興趣。

to keep elephants and people apart where necessary.

Simply talking to people,

你只要跟大家談一談，

talking to rural pastoralists in northern Kenya

跟肯亞北部的農村牧民談談，

who have so much knowledge about the bush,

他們對叢林非常了解，

we discovered this story that they had that elephants would not feed on trees

我們發現一個說法，

就是大象不會去吃 有野生蜂窩存在的樹木。

that had wild beehives in them.

Now this was an interesting story.

這個說法還挺有意思的。

As the elephants were foraging on the tree,

大象在樹上覓食的時候，

they would break branches and perhaps break open a wild beehive.

他們會折斷樹枝， 可能還會打壞野生蜂窩。

And those bees would fly out of their natural nests

那些蜜蜂會飛出牠們天然的窩，

and sting the elephants.

去叮大象。

Now if the elephants got stung,

如果大象被叮到，

perhaps they would remember that this tree was dangerous

牠們可能會記得這棵樹很危險，

and they wouldn't come back to that same site.

牠們就不會回到原來的地方。

It seems impossible that they could be stung through their thick skin --

看起來蜜蜂好像不可能 刺穿牠們厚厚的皮，

elephant skin is around two centimeters thick.

大象的皮大約有二公分厚。

But it seems that they sting them around the watery areas,

但是它們似乎會叮含水的地方，

around the eyes, behind the ears, in the mouth, up the trunk.

眼睛附近、耳朵後面、 嘴巴內部、象鼻上。

You can imagine they would remember that very quickly.

你可以想像牠們很快 就會記得這件事。

And it's not really one sting that they're scared of.

牠們怕的其實不是被叮一下。

African bees have a phenomenal ability:

非洲蜂有個超厲害的能力：

when they sting in one site, they release a pheromone

當它們叮的時候， 會釋放出某種費洛蒙，

that triggers the rest of the bees to come and sting the same site.

引發其它的蜜蜂來叮同樣的地方。

So it's not one beesting that they're scared of --

所以牠們怕的不是叮一次，

it's perhaps thousands of beestings,

可能是被叮成千上萬次，

coming to sting in the same area -- that they're afraid of.

而且是叮在同樣的地方， 這才是牠們害怕的。

And of course, a good matriarch

當然，好的女族長

would always keep her young away from such a threat.

一定會讓她的晚輩遠離這樣的威脅。

Young calves have much thinner skins,

小象的皮膚更薄，

and it's potential that they could be stung

牠們薄薄的皮膚很有可能被叮穿。

through their thinner skins.

So for my PhD, I had this unusual challenge

所以我的博士班主題， 就是這個不尋常的挑戰，

of trying to work out

要找出方法，

how African elephants and African bees would interact,

看非洲象與非洲蜂如何互動，

when the theory was that they wouldn't interact at all.

因為理論上牠們根本不會互動。

How was I going to study this?

我要怎麼開始這項研究？

Well, what I did was I took the sound of disturbed African honey bees,

我呢，就是把惱人的 非洲蜜蜂的聲音錄下來，

and I played it back to elephants resting under trees

撥放給在樹下休息的大象聽，

through a wireless speaker system,

我用的是無線喇叭系統，

so I could understand how they would react as if there were wild bees in the area.

這樣就可以了解牠們會怎麼反應，

就好像那裡真的有野生蜂一樣。

And it turns out that they react quite dramatically

結果牠們對非洲野生蜂的 聲音反應超大。

to the sound of African wild bees.

Here we are, playing the bee sounds back to this amazing group of elephants.

就是這樣，撥放蜜蜂的聲音 給這群了不起的大象聽。

You can see the ears going up, going out,

你們可以看到牠們豎起耳朵，往外翻，

they're turning their heads from side to side,

牠們的頭轉來轉去，

one elephant is flicking her trunk to try and smell.

一頭大象甩甩鼻子想聞一聞。

There's another elephant that kicks one of calves on the ground

另一頭大象踢了一頭地上的小象，

to tell it to get up as if there is a threat.

告訴牠要起來，好像有威脅一樣。

And one elephant triggers a retreat,

有一頭象引起撤退，

and soon the whole family of elephants are running after her

很快的整個象族都跟著她跑，

across the savannah in a cloud of dust.

在沙塵瀰漫中穿過整片草原。

(Sound of bees buzzing)

（蜜蜂嗡嗡聲）

(Sound of bees ends)

（蜜蜂聲音結束）

Now I've done this experiment many, many times,

我已經做了很多很多次這樣的實驗，

and the elephants almost always flee.

大象幾乎總是逃跑。

Not only do they run away,

牠們不僅逃跑，

but they dust themselves as they're running,

還會在跑的時候揚起塵土，

as if to knock bees out of the air.

好像這樣就可以驅趕空氣中的蜜蜂。

And we placed infrasonic microphones around the elephants

我們做這些實驗時， 在大象旁邊放次聲波麥克風。

as we did these experiments.

And it turns out they're communicating to each other in infrasonic rumbles

結果發現牠們是用 次聲波震動來彼此溝通，

to warn each other of the threat of bees

彼此警告蜜蜂的威脅

and to stay away from the area.

並遠離該地區。

So these behavioral discoveries

所以發現這些行為，

really helped us understand how elephants would react

對了解大象聽到或看到 蜜蜂後的反應非常有幫助。

should they hear or see bee sounds.

This led me to invent a novel design for a beehive fence,

這讓我發明出一種新型的蜂箱籬笆，

which we are now building around small, one-to-two-acre farms

目前我們正在幾個一兩英畝的 小型農場上圍籬，

on the most vulnerable frontline areas of Africa

這種小農場是非洲極脆弱的前線，

where humans and elephants are competing for space.

人與象在此競爭空間。

These beehive fences are very, very simple.

這種蜂箱籬笆非常非常簡易。

We use 12 beehives and 12 dummy hives

我們使用十二個蜂箱和十二個假蜂箱

to protect one acre of farmland.

來保護一英畝農地。

Now a dummy hive is simply a piece of plywood

假蜂箱其實就是拿一塊夾板，

which we cut into squares, paint yellow

切成幾個方塊，漆成黃色，

and hang in between the hives.

掛在蜂箱之間。

We're basically tricking the elephants

我們基本上就是在騙大象，

into thinking there are more beehives than there really are.

讓牠們以為有比 實際數量還多的蜂箱。

And of course, it literally halves the cost of the fence.

當然，這樣也能省下 一半的籬笆費用。

So there's a hive and a dummy hive

所以就是一個真蜂箱， 一個假蜂箱，

and a beehive and now dummy hive,

又一個真蜂箱，再一個假蜂箱，

every 10 meters around the outside boundary.

每十公尺一個，繞著外邊界。

They're held up by posts

用柱子立起來，

with a shade roof to protect the bees,

上面有遮陽棚保護蜜蜂，

and they're interconnected with a simple piece of plain wire,

而且用一條簡單的金屬線串起來，

which goes all the way around, connecting the hives.

繞一整圈，把所有的蜂箱都連起來。

So if an elephant tries to enter the farm,

所以如果有大象試著進入農場，

he will avoid the beehive at all cost,

牠就得盡全力避開蜂箱，

but he might try and push through between the hive and the dummy hive,

但是牠可能嘗試在 真假蜂箱間強行推進，

causing all the beehives to swing as the wire hits his chest.

導致所有的蜂箱都搖晃， 因為金屬線碰到牠的胸部。

And as we know from our research work,

從我們的研究得知，

this will cause the elephants to flee and run away --

這會讓大象落荒而逃，

and hopefully remember not to come back to that risky area.

希望牠們會記得

永遠不要再跑回這個危險的地方。

The bees swarm out of the hive,

蜜蜂成群湧出蜂箱，

and they really scare the elephants away.

真的會把大象都嚇跑。

These beehive fences we're studying using things like camera traps

我們做研究用的蜂箱籬笆， 會用像相機陷阱這樣的東西，

to help us understand how elephants are responding

幫助我們了解大象 在夜晚對蜜蜂的反應。

to them at night time,

which is when most of the crop raiding occurs.

也就是最可能發生作物襲擊的時間。

And we found in our study farms

我們發現在我們做研究的農田，

that we're keeping up to 80 percent of elephants

我們能讓八成的大象

outside of the boundaries of these farms.

隔絕在農田的外邊界之外。

And the bees and the beehive fences are also pollinating the fields.

這些蜜蜂及蜂箱籬笆 也會在田間授粉。

So we're having a great reduction both in elephant crop raids

所以我們不但能大幅減低 大象襲擊作物的次數，

and a boost in yield through the pollination services

還能透過蜜蜂對作物本身的 授粉服務而增加產量。

that the bees are giving to the crops themselves.

The strength of the beehive fences is really important --

蜂箱籬笆的強壯度非常重要——

the colonies have to be very strong.

蜂群必須非常強壯。

So we're trying to help farmers grow pollinator-friendly crops

所以我們試著幫助農民 種植對授粉媒介友善的作物

to boost their hives,

以增加蜂巢，

boost the strength of their bees

增強蜜蜂，

and, of course, produce the most amazing honey.

當然還要生產絕佳的蜂蜜。

This honey is so valuable as an extra livelihood income for the farmers.

這種蜂蜜對農民極為重要， 因為這是他們額外的維生收入。

It's a healthy alternative to sugar,

它是糖的健康替代品，

and in our community,

而且在我們的社區，

it's a very valuable present to give a mother-in-law,

也是給婆婆岳母非常珍貴的禮物，

which makes it almost priceless.

使得它幾乎成為無價之寶。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We now bottle up this honey,

我們會把這種蜜蜂裝罐，

and we've called this wild beautiful honey Elephant-Friendly Honey.

我們稱這種漂亮的野蜜稱為象友蜜。

It is a fun name,

這個名字很好笑，

but it also attracts attention to our project

但是也吸引大眾對我們計劃的關注，

and helps people understand what we're trying to do

幫助眾人了解我們在嘗試做什麼

以拯救大象。

to save elephants.

We're working now with so many women

我們現在與許多婦女合作，

in over 60 human-elephant conflict sites

在六十多個人象衝突區，

in 19 countries in Africa and Asia

遍布非洲與亞洲十九個國家，

to build these beehive fences,

搭造這種蜂箱籬笆，

working very, very closely with so many farmers

與許多農民非常密切的合作，

but particularly now with women farmers,

尤其是女農民，

helping them to live better in harmony with elephants.

幫助他們與大象過更和諧的生活。

One of the things we're trying to do is develop a toolbox of options

還有一件我們正在嘗試的， 就是開發選項百寶箱，

to live in better harmony with these massive pachyderms.

讓人與這些龐然厚皮大物 過更和諧的生活。

One of those issues is to try and get farmers,

其中有個問題是要試圖讓農民——

and women in particular,

尤其是女性——

to think different about what they're planting

去思考還有什麼別的東西

inside their farms as well.

可以種在他們的田裡。

So we're looking at planting crops

所以我們要找的作物是

that elephants don't particularly want to eat, like chillies,

大象不怎麼愛吃的東西，

像辣椒、薑、辣木、向日葵。

ginger, Moringa, sunflowers.

And of course, the bees and the beehive fences love these crops too,

當然，蜜蜂及蜂箱籬笆 也很愛這些作物，

because they have beautiful flowers.

因為它們開美麗的花。

One of these plants is a spiky plant called sisal --

其中有一種刺刺的植物叫瓊麻，

you may know this here as jute.

這邊的人稱作黃麻。

And this amazing plant can be stripped down

這種了不起的植物可以剝皮

and turned into a weaving product.

然後做成編織產品。

We're working with these amazing women now

我們現在與這些超棒的婦女合作，

who live daily with the challenges of elephants

她們每天都活在大象的挑戰下，

to use this plant to weave into baskets

用這種植物編織成籃子

to provide an alternative income for them.

為自己提供替代收入。

We've just started construction only three weeks ago

我們三個星期前才開始

on a women's enterprise center

建造一個婦女創業中心，

where we're going to be working with these women

我們要與這些婦女合作，

not only as expert beekeepers

不只當養蜂專家，

but as amazing basket weavers;

還要當藤籃編織高手，

they're going to be processing chili oils, sunflower oils,

她們還要榨辣椒油、葵花油，

making lip balms and honey,

製作護唇膏和蜂蜜，

and we're somewhere on our way to helping these participating farmers

我們正朝著幫助這些參與的農民

live with better eco-generating projects that live and work better

用對生態更友善的計畫 過更好的生活，

with living with elephants.

與大象一起生活。

So whether it's matriarchs

所以無論是族母

or mothers or researchers like myself,

還是像我一樣的母親或研究員，

I do see more women coming to the forefront now

我的確看到愈來愈多婦女 現在挺身而出，

to think differently and more boldly about the challenges that we face.

用更不同及更大膽的方式 思考我們面對的挑戰。

With more innovation,

有更多的創新，

and perhaps with some more empathy towards each other,

也許對彼此還有更多的同理心，

I do believe we can move from a state of conflict with elephants

我相信我們可以從 與大象充滿衝突的現狀

to true coexistence.

走向真正的共存。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）