III. Reading Comprehension
The South China tiger is the most endangered tiger subspecies. Due to
habitat loss and fragmentation, tiger eradication campaigns, uncontrolled
hunting, and human invasion into tiger habitat, the South China tiger suffered
major population declines during the last century. Listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it
has not been directly observed in its habitat since 1970, suggesting it is
possibly extinct in the wild. Restoration of wild populations within the
subspecies’ historical range will therefore require reintroduction efforts.
The IUCN indicates that reintroduced animals can be either from a
captive or wild source. However, the use of wild-caught individuals is
generally preferred, as reintroductions using captive animals are less likely to
be successful. Nonetheless, for the South China tiger, the only animals
available for reintroduction are from captivity.
When animals are in captivity for generations, their behavior may
experience artificial selection to adapt to their captive environment. These
adaptations, although beneficial to captivity, can compromise their survival in
the wild, where deficiencies can be seen in hunting, social interactions,
breeding and nesting, and so on. However, these animals can be behaviorally
conditioned to develop those skills that might have been lost during captivity.
In fact, pre-release conditioning has modified behaviors in several mammal
species in ways assumed to be beneficial for survival.
To breed and prepare captive-born South China tigers for reintroduction,
Save China’s Tigers, a charity in collaboration with the Chinese State Forestry
Administration (SFA), relocated four South China tiger cubs from Chinese
zoos to a private captive facility in South Africa in 2003 and 2004. South
Africa was chosen to establish the breeding facility because land, free-ranging
prey, and wildlife expertise were available. Tigers at the facility were
provided opportunities under semi-wild conditions to acquire hunting and
other survival skills to prepare them for reintroduction in China. Despite
concerns relating to the ex situ nature of the project by some in the
conservation community, the SFA recognized the project as the first practical
step towards the restoration of South China tigers to the wild, and considered
it consistent with IUCN guidelines for reintroductions since China lacked the
necessary habitat, expertise and infrastructure to conduct the project in situ.
Recently, Chinese authorities and international organizations have identified existing protected areas of sufficient size within the subspecies’ historic range
as potential sites that could be suitable for habitat restoration and
reintroduction of the South China tiger.
【題組】41. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
(A) It has been officially confirmed that the South China tiger no longer
exists in the wild.
(B) The reintroduction of the South China tiger was carried out with the
assistance from the IUCN.
(C) In consideration of the climate, Save China’s Tigers sent four South
China tiger cubs to South Africa rather than elsewhere.
(D) For the South China tiger to be successfully reintroduced, it must get
used to the living conditions that its ancestors in the wild once had.
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