Australian Wildlife Hospital, Australia (CNN) — On the operating table lies a sick koala. He’s just been brought in by a driver who found the animal sitting in the middle of a busy road. Veterinarian Claude Lacasse determines the koala has not been hit by a car but she immediately detects one serious problem facing many of the marsupials: Chlamydia, a disease which can lead to a very slow and painful death for koalas living in the wild.

Koalas generate almost US$1 billion for the Australian economy, thanks to tourists who come to see this national icon. But these cuddly creatures are under serious threat from infectious disease and habitat loss and some scientists believe they are facing extinction.

“Extinction is inevitable in some areas,” according to Dr Jon Hanger, a veterinary scientist at Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital. “I certainly hope we don’t see it across Australia. But if we don’t take the decline seriously and pick up on the warning signs now it’s certainly a risk.”

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Source: Anna Coren, CNN