They are one of two animals Australia is known for, but unlike kangaroos, koalas are falling fast.

考拉和袋鼠作为澳大利亚的国宝级动物，可以说无人不知。但和袋鼠不同，考拉数量正在锐减。

Cars kill them as do dogs and disease.

汽车、犬类和疾病都会造成考拉的死亡。

But the central cause, one that lies behind all those threats is human destruction of the places koalas live, forcing them closer to people and each other.

但这些表面原因背后的始作俑者，其实是人类对于考拉栖息地的破坏。这使得考拉不得不暴露于人类和其他危险之中。

It all comes back to habitat loss.

这造成考拉栖息地大量流失。

If a koala has lost habitat, they have to come down, search for habitat which then makes them have to cross roads, so this acceptable being hit by cars and attacked by dogs as well.

考拉无处可待，所以得下地寻找栖息地，就必须过马路，这就解释了考拉被车撞和被狗伤害的原因。

North of Sydney, this small rehabilitation centre is about to be transformed into a full koala hospital, costing two million dollars.

在悉尼北部，这个小型的康复中心将被改造为一所考拉医院，耗资200万美元。

The state government of New South Wales will pay for it, but that’s the same government, say campaigners, which is allowing even encouraging the destruction of koala habitat.

建造费用将由新州政府承担，但据活动人士称，正是新州政府默许甚至鼓励破坏考拉栖息地。

We are incredibly appreciative that we’re getting this hospital.

我们对建设医院的决定感激不尽。

We need this hospital but the laws that allow the habitat clearing and it’s given one hand and take on the other.

我们很需要医院，但是相关法律还在纵容破坏栖息地。政府一手抓，一手放。

Last year, New South Wales relaxed laws controlling the amount of land, farmers can clear of trees.

去年，新州政府放松了对土地的管制，农民可砍伐树木。

As a result tells the new report, land clearing rates have tripled.

根据最新报告显示，土地开垦率增加了两倍。

Those behind the report say that if current trends continue, koalas could be extinct in the wild in New South Wales by 2050.

专家称若保持现有的开垦速度，到2050年，新州的野生考拉将面临灭绝。

It’s really shocking and it’s certainly within our power to stop, but if we don’t stop habitat destruction, we will be the ones that will see these animals in the wild for the last time.

这太可怕了，我们是能够阻止这一切发生的。如果继续放任破坏栖息地，那么我们将见证野生考拉的消失。

New South Wales Environment Minister turned down a request for an interview, for the state government says old land clearing laws were too restrictive.

新州环境部长拒绝了采访请求，州政府表示原有的法则太过严苛。

Farming and development does not need to threaten koalas.

政府认为农业和开发土地根本威胁不了考拉的生存。

But this patch of wetland forests, north of Sydney illustrates a subjective nature of the decisions.

但这片位于悉尼北部的湿地森林，却真实反映了政府的决策对其的影响。

It’s owned by the Education Department of the state government which doesn’t need it for a school, so two years ago sold it to a developer.

这片土地原属于新州教育部用于建设学校，但教育部没这个需求，就转手卖给了开发商。

After environmentalists started petitions and campaigns, the state government said it had made a mistake and is now trying to buy the land back for more than it was sold.

随着环保人士不断请愿抗议，新州政府承认工作失误，并承诺将这片土地以高于售价的价格买回。

One part of government doesn’t communicate with the other.

政府部门之间互不沟通。

Before any government department flogs off, they’re supposed to go into other government departments and ask ’do you want it’.

在卖出这片土地前，教育部应该与其他部门协商，问问他们是否需要这块土地。

Nobody asked the Department of Environment as far as we know ’do you want this land?’.

据我们所知，没人问过环境部门的意见。

The more land that disappears, the more Animal Hospitals will be needed.

栖息地消失得越多，动物医院的需求量也就越大。