世界最小的象

The World’s Smallest Elephants

婆羅洲矮象主要分布於婆羅洲島北部的沙巴州，目前只剩下1500頭左右，是非常需要保護的瀕危物種。但是由於市場上對於棕櫚油的需求，讓婆羅洲島上的熱帶雨林被大量砍伐改種油棕，讓婆羅洲矮象喪失了棲息地，連帶著產生牠們跟人類之間的衝突。
不喜歡牠們單純路過擾亂油棕園、吃油棕等的業者於是以非法陷阱、毒殺、射殺等方式獵殺牠們，讓牠們面臨更多的生存危機。特別是往年只有單純獵殺，近年來卻由於黑市象牙的需求，讓以往只是棄置的大象屍體上的象牙也被採走，甚至只是為了象牙而盜獵。

The Borneo pigmy elephant is mostly found in the Malaysian state of Sabah, and with only about 1500 animals remaining is on the brink of extinction. Due to the high demand for palm oil, Borneo’s tropical rainforest is being continuously reduced to make room for palm oil plantations. Conflicts between Borneo elephants and palm farmers have become rampant. Displeased with elephants trespassing into palm plantations, farmers resort to means such as illegal traps, poison and guns to slaughter the elephants. The intensity of the slaughter has been heightened in recent years as the black market for ivory flourishes. Tusks that used to go to waste alongside elephant carcasses are now scavenged and extracted.

救救大象不能等

Elephant Protection Can’t Wait

為了要保育婆羅洲矮象，從21世紀初期起，就有一些單位，例如世界自然基金會、婆羅洲保育信託（BCT, Borneo Conservation Trust）開始透過各種方式在沙巴買地造林，想要把零碎的天然林連結成為生態廊道，好讓以婆羅洲矮象及其他物種在森林中來去，減少傷亡及人獸衝突。

Since the turn of the century, some organizations have been established to protect Borneo’s elephants. The WWF and Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) have begun purchasing rainforest in Borneo to create eco-corridors that allow safe passage for elephants and other animals in the hopes of reducing encroachment on farms and plantations.

日本北海道旭山動物園的坂東元園長在2008年還是副園長的時候，為了想看動物園裡飼養的紅毛猩猩的故鄉及野生紅毛猩猩的現況而造訪沙巴，卻發現了婆羅洲矮象迫切需要保育的現況，於是開始與婆羅洲保育信託日本分會（BCTJ）合作報恩計畫（Ongaeshi Project），除了向企業募款以外，也在旭山動物園裡及日本各地設置了200個募款型自動販賣機，只要是在這種外面貼著報恩計畫圖像的自動販賣機買飲料等，扣掉成本以外的收入全部都會用在婆羅洲矮象的保育上面。這種自動販賣機的募款金額，平均每年在800萬日圓左右。

In 2008, the deputy director of Japan’s Asahiyama Zoo visited Sabah to study the natural habitats for orangutans. On the trip, he learned about the urgency to protect Borneo elephants, and the zoo began the Ongaeshi Project fund raising initiative in partnership with Borneo Conservation Trust Japan (BCTJ). Including a corporate donation campaign and revenue generation through vending machines, profits from 200 Ongaeshi Project vending machines inside the Asahiyama Zoo have been used for the protection of Borneo elephants, reaching an average of 8 million yen each year.

這筆基金起初先用來製造了兩個移動式欄舍，在接到通報有大象需要救傷或是移動的時候，先用這種欄舍捕捉，再直接帶去合適的地點野放。接下來則是在距離沙巴東部山打根車程大約兩小時的地區蓋了一個救傷中心（BES, Borneo Elephant Sanctuary），讓沙巴野生動物管理局有地方可以收容救傷大象加以治療、復健，以待野放回森林之日。這個救傷中心也已經在2014年9月啟用。

The fund was initially used to build two mobile fences used to capture elephants that have been injured or in need of relocation. The second initiative was the establishment in 2014 of the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary. Located 2 hours away from Sandakan (located on the east coast of the state of Sabah), the center provides accommodation and veterinary treatment for injured elephants before their release back into the wild.

臺北市立動物園在2015年9月跟日本北海道旭山動物園簽訂友好協定，其中的主要目標之一就是保育婆羅洲矮象，以及牠們的原生棲息地——婆羅洲沙巴的熱帶雨林。因為沒有了棲息地，野生動植物就沒有了家。

Taipei City Zoo entered into a partnership agreement with Asahiyama Zoo in September 2015. A main mission of the partnership is the protection of Borneo elephants and their natural tropical rainforest habitat. Without habitat, wildlife will be left without a home.

馬蘭穿鞋

Malan’s Shoe

大象的腦容量比較大，真的比較聰明嗎？或許是真的，2000年馬蘭因腳疾開刀，手術完成後，獸醫每兩天為馬蘭泡腳換藥，馬蘭雖說是生病，但也不這麼聽話，牠會用象鼻把包紮傷口的繃帶撕開，連工作人員花了好幾個小時做的鋼片覆蓋板也都一起扯壞，為了與這大傢伙鬥智，工作人員想盡辦法在受傷的腿上綁上五顏六色的鋼絲，想要分散牠的注意力，但聰明的馬蘭沒花多久的時間便解開了。
馬蘭當時的傷口若不包紮固定，在牠的體重壓力下傷口往外張，即使長出新肉也無法癒合，在試了許多方法都無效後，決定為馬蘭做一隻醫療用的鞋子，讓牠碰不到傷口，傷口也能快點癒合。

Elephants are highly intelligent; just ask Malan’s keepers. After surgery to treat Malan’s foot in 2000, veterinarians had to apply medications to the elephant’s foot every second day, but Malan wasn’t exactly obedient and would take off the bandages using her trunk. Zoo keeper tried all kinds of techniques to keep the bandages on. They covered the foot with metal plates, they distracted Malan with colorful wires around the wraps, but the intelligent Malan managed to undo the bandages every time. Without pressure from the bandages, stepping on the foot would stretch the wound and cause it to reopen due to her weight. Malan’s foot couldn’t heal properly, and almost at their wit’s end, zoo veterinarian decided to create a custom shoe for Malan.

在這之前為馬蘭開刀時，就做了腳模，於是用這腳模找了製鞋廠商討論，馬蘭的鞋就在兩家熱心贊助的鞋商「阿瘦皮鞋」及「凱欣特舒鞋」製鞋師絞盡腦汁下製作完成。完成的醫療用鞋為圓筒狀直徑約35公分，跟一般鞋子一樣有鞋帶可以調整，製鞋師特別在傷口指甲的位置挖洞，另外以鞋帶固定，方便檢查傷口，醫療用鞋不但透氣、防水，最重要的是很強韌，這下馬蘭可無法把鞋子拆下了。

Two sponsoring shoe companies, A.S.O and Kai Shin, agreed to help with the project. A mold of the elephant’s foot had been made before the surgery that was used by shoe designers. The custom made elephant shoe resembled a cylinder 35cm in diameter which could be opened and removed using laces. The shoe was tough, water resistant, and breathable, with an opening near the toe to examine and treat the wound. Most importantly, Malan never figured out how to take the shoe off!

醫療鞋側邊開口以便檢查傷口

Openings on the side of the medical footwear allow wounds to be examined more easily.

因為馬蘭體型龐大，手術時動用數十位工作人員合力完成。

Due to the enormous body size of Malan, the collaboration of over tens of staff members was necessary to perform the operation.

大象的麥片丸子

Oatmeal Balls

大象的重量靠著四隻腳支撐，所以腳部的健康對大象而言非常重要，為了改善大象象腳皮膚剝落的情形及補足食物中缺乏的微量元素，會以提供維他命的方式來補充。但大象不喜歡維他命的味道，總是能用靈敏的嗅覺聞到而避開不吃，要怎麼讓大象吃下足夠的維他命看來又是一場與象鬥智。

A lot of weight rests on an elephant’s feet. Foot health is extremely important for elephants. In order to prevent excessive skin peeling around the feet and to provide micronutrients that regular diets lack, the method adopted by zoo dieticians is to prescribe regular vitamins. But getting elephants to take their vitamins was another battle of wits at the zoo.

為了讓大象吃下維他命，保育員想到可以把維他命溶入水中，再撒到乾草堆上，看似大象吃下去了，但無法知道吃多吃少。接著嘗試將維他命夾在水果中，但還是被大象吐了出來，即便用蜂蜜等甜味包覆還是被大象拒絕。

Elephants don’t like vitamins, and they can detect them in their foods. Zoo keepers tried to mix vitamins in water and spray them on the elephants’ hay, but the flaw of this method was the inability to know which elephant ate the vitamin-soaked feed. Subsequently, zoo keepers tried concealing vitamins inside of fruits, but the elephants spat themback out. They also tried coating vitamins with sweet foods such as honey, but to no avail either.

但為了大象的健康得補充維他命才行，保育員絞盡腦汁想到可以參考治療猴子糖尿病時的麥片丸子方式，先將燕麥煮熟攪拌至黏稠，再加入綜合維他命粉，充分混合後捏成丸狀，這樣一來方便餵食，也能知道大象吃了多少的量，重點是大象不但不討厭還吃得津津有味。

The zoo keeper decided to borrow a lesson learned from treating monkeys with diabetes. They cooked oatmeal until it became thick and sticky, added vitamin powder, then heated and stirred the mixture until it became doughy. The mixture was separated and shaped into individual oatmeal balls, which turned out to be a hit! Not only did the elephants love them, their keepers could also easily monitor each elephant’s vitamin intake.

長鼻們的智慧

Elephant Wisdom

在英文的諺語中有一句「大象不會忘記（an elephant never forgets）」，英國知名的推理小說家阿嘉莎克莉絲蒂也以此為靈感而寫了小說《大象的證詞》（Elephants Can Remember）。這些都是因為大象一向被認為是很聰明的動物。實際上，也有不少研究都在討論大象是不是真的有很好的記憶力。而根據觀察，大象除了記得哪裡有食物、有水源以外，似乎也真的很會記憶其他的大象、也會記得人，特別是讓自己受傷的人。而牠們之所以會「侵入」人類住的村莊或農地，基本上也是因為那些地方是象群自很久以前就在走的路徑。

As the saying goes, an elephant never forgets. This was perhaps the inspiration for Agatha Christie when she wrote Elephants Can Remember. Elephants are believed to be highly intelligent and possess good memories, with research suggesting that elephants have the ability to remember the location of food and water, foraging routes, and identify and remember other elephants and humans. Elephants can also remember individuals that have caused them harm. Elephants may appear lost when they enter into human territories, but in fact humans are to blame for putting villages and plantations in their regular paths.

雖然大象走過的地方，樹可能會被連根拔起或是因為樹皮被剝掉而乾枯，但是也因為如此，才讓位於森林下層的小樹苗和其他植物能夠長大，促進森林演替。

Wherever elephants pass, trees may be uprooted or die from having their bark stripped. But this is a healthy process that helps younger trees and plants grow as the jungle rejuvenates.

缺一不可

Everyone Can Make a Difference

動物園是啟發許多人認識動物、愛上動物的第一個地方。動物園扮演的「現代方舟」角色，除提供民眾「休憩」場所之外，更重要的是積極發展「保育、教育、研究」功能，將動物園內的域外保育努力回饋及連結至野生動物原生棲地的域內保育。但是這樣的工作，絕對不可能是一個人、一個動物園、一座城市就能辦到的。除了大象以外，地球上還有非常多的動植物也正面臨著生存危機。

Many people have discovered their love for animals at the zoo. Zoos function as destinations for leisure and enjoyment and, more importantly, as centers for education, research, and conservation, helping to reciprocate the zoo’s effort in Ex-Situ conservation and connecting to the respective wildlife’s In-Situ conservation. Zoos are like modern arks. However, no single organization or even city government has enough resources to support zoos’ new missions. There are many animal and plant species besides elephants that are endangered. As a result, partnerships are being established between zoos around the world.

臺北動物園目前除了跟日本旭山動物園合作婆羅洲矮象域內保育計畫外，還參與歐洲動物園暨水族館協會(EAZA)的歐洲瀕危物種保育計畫(EEP)，在全球分工下將非洲野驢引進臺北繁殖；在金剛猩猩保種計畫中，把臺北的金剛猩猩「寶寶」送至荷蘭靈長類公園，另從波蘭歐普勒動物園引進迪亞哥，這些都是為了要讓野外的基因有機會傳承、增加域外族群的基因多樣性。除此之外，與美國貝爾勒龜類保育中心的瀕危龜類保育繁殖存續計畫合作緬甸星龜保育，和日本東京多摩動物公園合作黑面琵鷺保育，都只是眾多保育計畫的一部分。野生動物保育人人有責，缺一不可。

Taipei Zoo has partnered with Japan’s Asahiyama Zoo in a program to save the Borneo elephants. It also has partnered with The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) in its European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). Under a worldwide division-of-labor arrangement, Taipei Zoo has received an African wild donkey for propagation; sent Bao Bao the gorilla to Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands as a part of the gorilla conservation plan, and welcomed D’jeeco the gorilla from Poland. These efforts provide these endangered species access to greater genetic diversity through breeding. Taipei Zoo has also partnered with the Behler Chelonian Center in a program to breed the Burmese star tortoise, and with Japan’s Tama Zoological Park to protect the black-faced spoonbill. When it comes to endangered species protection, everyone must play a role.