国家地理:佛罗里达美洲狮的回归(5)（在线收听）

As panthers strike out north of the Caloosahatchee River, they'll encounter land dominated by large ranches and farms.

当美洲狮从卡鲁沙哈奇河向北发展时，它们会遇到由大型牧场与农场所主宰的一片土地。

Roads cut through many of these areas, and the region is dotted with small, often expanding towns.

许多农牧场为公路所穿越，整片区域内还星罗棋布着一些往往在扩张中的小城镇。

One of the better-known cattle operations in south-central Florida is the 10,500-acre Buck Island Ranch, run by Gene Lollis, a sixth-generation Floridian.

佛罗里达州中南部的巴克岛牧场占地10500英亩，是当地著名的一座牧牛场，目前由第六代佛罗里达人吉恩·洛勒斯经营。

On a March morning before sunrise, I head out on horseback with Lollis, who's wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and blue jeans,

去年3月一个日出前的早晨，我和穿戴着牛仔帽、靴子和蓝色牛仔裤的洛勒斯，

along with his son, Laurent, and a group of cowboys, to round up cattle in grasslands spotted with islands of cabbage palm and oak.

以及他的儿子劳伦特和一群牛仔，一起骑马去点缀着菜棕与栎树的草原上赶牛。

Like many ranches, Buck Island -- owned by the Archbold Biological Station, a nearby ecological research and education facility

就如同许多牧场一样，隶属于附近的生态研究暨教育中心阿奇波德生物站的巴克岛牧场，

provides critical habitat for wildlife, including panthers.

为美洲狮等野生动物提供了重要的栖地。

As dogs bay and the cowboys corral their livestock, I ask Lollis, who leads the Florida Cattlemen's Association, how ranchers view the panther.

随着牧羊犬吠叫、牛群聚拢，我向领导佛罗里达牧牛协会的洛勒斯询问牧场主对美洲狮的看法。

"We're all pretty positive about them," he says. "They're part of the landscape."

“我们的看法很积极，”他说：“它们是地理景观的一部分。”

Generally speaking, the rancher and the panther face a common enemy: development, particularly new housing.

一般来说，牧场主与美洲狮有共同的敌人：开发，尤其是新住宅的开发。

Every ranch owner has had an offer from developers, Lollis says, adding that the issue is deeply personal

洛勒斯表示，每个牧场主都接到过开发商出价，他更补充道，这对他而言是非常个人的问题

ranches near Orlando where he worked as a young man have become subdivisions.

他年轻时在奥兰多附近工作过的牧场，已经分割成为许多住宅用地。