世界各地的雨林都是物種豐富的熱點地區。在中國大規模的樹冠中，我們可以學到很多關於這個世界以及如何保護它的知識。

大家好，我是 Kyle Obermann。The China Current特約撰稿人，在這裡我會向您展示「野性中國」。

在中國–老撾邊境線上有一條 500 公里的茂密熱帶雨林。在中國一側，西雙版納的自然保護區保護著大部分野生森林，保護區之外的橡膠樹林面積很大，一直延伸到塵土飛揚的地平線。同時，在老撾一側，零星的小村莊點綴在森林的風景中，只有通過經常發生水災的紅色土路才能進入。

中國貓科動物保護聯盟 (CFCA) 在這裡與老撾當地護林員合作，保護中老邊境的雲豹。疫情爆發前，我和這些護林員在他們的村莊和周圍的叢林中度過了一個星期，尋找雲豹的蹤跡。

在過去十年中，中國對城市和土地進行了全面改革，大力優先考慮綠色增長和自然保護。在成功保護自己的土地和資源的同時，中國開始向其他國家輸出和分享自己的知識和方法，比如通過舉辦今年的聯合國生物多樣性大會第十五次會議，來傳播生態文明理念，並在上個月宣佈將停止投資「一帶一路」倡議中新的煤炭項目。

在當地的綠色團體也開始與其他發展中國家分享他們的經驗。當CFCA懷疑雲豹可能遊走在中國和老撾之間時，他們開始與老撾的護林員合作，也意識到許多老撾護林員缺乏設備、經驗和資金。現在， CFCA與老撾合作，研究經常跨越熱帶雨林和國界的豹子。

我們進入雨林的時候是旱季，因此在我們的探險過程中，水非常稀缺。我們花了一天多的時間在炎熱的叢林中徒步旅行和睡覺，但只帶了幾瓶水。大部分植被要麼太厚，沒有大砍刀就無法穿過，要麼就長滿了刺。晚上，我們在叢林中過夜，在灌木叢中砍出一塊空地，簡單地睡在篷布和睡袋上。星空下，周圍是夜間野生動物的聲音。護林員們用美食和歌聲陪伴我們。

中國科學家幫助老撾護林員挑選森林中的最佳位置安裝紅外追蹤鏡頭，如果豹子或其他動物經過就會被觸發。最後老撾護林員要巧妙地引導我們穿過森林，安全返回村莊。

從那時起，這些鏡頭就捕捉到了雲豹的蹤跡。中國和老撾都希望通過記錄豹子的棲息地，增加中國豹子數量，同時減緩老撾的森林砍伐。

國界是人類的發明。大自然並不曾留意這些界線，我們的人為邊界甚至會約束或傷害野生動物。這就是為什麼當挑戰變得更加系統化和相互關聯更強時，跨境合作就變得必不可少。中國不僅與老撾和其他東南亞國家合作，還與非洲國家合作，分享和實施最佳保護措施。這是野生動物和我們的地球所需要的合作，並給予未來希望。

Rainforests are hotspots for species richness across the world. And among China’s sweeping canopies, we can learn so much about our world and how to protect it. 

Hi, I’m Kyle Obermann, Nature Contributor for The China Current, showing China’s wild side.

The China-Laos border runs along 500km of thick, tropical rainforest. On the Chinese side, the nature reserve at Xishuangbanna protects much of the wild forest, where beyond the reserve rubber tree groves stretch into the dusty horizon. Meanwhile, in Laos, small villages dot the landscape of a forest only accessible by red dirt roads prone to frequent flooding.

This is the setting where the Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance, or CFCA, is working with local Laotian rangers to protect clouded leopards on the China-Laos border. Before the outbreak, I spent a week with these rangers in their village and the surrounding jungle, looking for traces of the leopard.

In the last decade, China has carried out an overhaul of its cities and lands, strongly prioritizing green growth and nature protection. As it successfully protects its own lands and resources, China is beginning to export and share its knowledge and methods with other nations by hosting this year’s international COP15, spreading the idea of ecological civilization, and last month declaring it will stop investing in new coal projects along the Belt and Road Initiative. 

On-the-ground green groups have also begun to share their experience with other developing nations. The CFCA began working with Laotian rangers when they suspected that clouded leopards may share habitat between China and Laos and realized that many of the Laotian rangers lacked equipment, experience, and funding. The CFCA now works with Lao partners to research the leopards that frequently cross the man-made country boundaries across the rainforest.

It was the dry season when we entered the rainforest, so water was very scarce during our expedition. We spent over a day hiking and sleeping in the hot jungle with only a few bottles of water. Much of the vegetation was either too thick to go through without a machete or covered in spines. In the evening, we spent the night in the jungle, chopping out a clearing in the brush and simply sleeping on a tarp and sleeping bag underneath the stars with the sounds of nocturnal wildlife surrounding us. The rangers kept us company with good food and song.

The Chinese scientists helped the Laotian rangers pick the best spots in the forest to install infrared trail cameras that would trigger if a leopard or other animal passed. In turn, the Laotian rangers skillfully guided us through the forest and back to the village safely. 

Since then, the cameras have caught traces of the clouded leopard on camera. Both the Chinese and Laotians hope that by documenting leopard habitat, they can increase leopard populations in China, and aslow deforestation in Laos.

Borders are human inventions. Nature doesn’t pay attention and often our artificial boundaries can even inhibit or hurt wildlife. This is why as challenges become more systematic and interconnected, cross-border collaboration is essential. China is not only working with Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia, but African nations as well to share and implement best protection measures. This is the kind of collaboration that wildlife and our planet needs and gives hope for the future.