Australian nurseryman Humphrey Herrington has been racking his brains for weeks trying to identify the elusive thief who devoured his seedlings.

At first, the owner thought the seedlings had been eaten by runaway goats or opossums.

The last thing I expected was a cheeky, chubby, startled koala lounging among naked eucalyptus plants.

He seemed very happy with himself

He told the BBC.

Staff are now building koala-proof fencing around the planting tables to thwart the devastating snacking of a koala named Claude, which cost the nursery $6,000.

Ironically, the plants Claude ate were grown to increase the koala habitat in the area The species is threatened with extinction.

In 2022, koalas along the east coast of Australia are listed as endangered after a significant decline in their numbers.

The marsupials have been decimated by land clearing, wildfires, drought, disease, and other threats.

A 2021 study conducted in the North American federal state found that koalas will become extinct by 2050 if urgent action is not taken. According to some conservation groups, as many as 50,000 animals may remain in the wild. BBC News.