[ti:Threatened Australian Animal Back in the Wild for the First Time in a Century] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.01]For the first time in more than a century, [00:04.13]bilbies are running wild in Southeastern Australia. [00:09.63]The small animals were once widespread across much of Australia, [00:16.85]but were last observed in the wild in New South Wales state in 1912. [00:24.26]Every year bilby populations continue to decrease. [00:30.00]Wildlife experts are afraid that the bilby, a small marsupial, [00:36.78]could eventually disappear forever, [00:40.26]either because of land clearing or fires. [00:44.23]Another reason is a threat from cats and foxes, [00:50.10]which hunt down and kill bilbies. [00:53.19]In northern New South Wales state, [00:57.72]environmentalists are celebrating [01:00.69]what they are calling a historic moment. [01:04.57]Thirty bilbies from a captive breeding program have been released [01:11.09]into a large predator-free enclosed area north of Sydney. [01:17.25]Without the protection of a 32-kilometer fence, [01:22.73]experts say the animals probably would not survive. [01:27.74]Tim Allard heads the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, [01:33.55]which is involved in the project. [01:36.26]He says the release of these beloved animals is a big deal. [01:42.33]"Bilbies only really survive behind fenced areas. [01:47.46]There are some remaining wild bilby populations, [01:51.52]but they get predated upon heavily by feral cats and foxes." [01:58.18]Allard said the point of doing this project [02:02.60]is to return the countryside [02:04.83]to what it used to be before Europeans arrived. [02:09.61]"So in the not-too-distant future, [02:14.58]you will be able to go inside the fenced area [02:18.27]and it will be like stepping back before Europeans turned up," he said. [02:24.49]Bilbies are known for their long ears and large back legs. [02:30.79]They usually sleep during the day, and are awake at night. [02:36.08]They look a lot like rabbits and grow to about 2.5 kilograms. [02:43.42]Australia has one of the world's worst rates of mammal extinctions. [02:50.27]The bilby project is seen as an important part [02:54.96]in protecting the nation's wildlife. [02:58.74]I'm Susan Shand. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM