Threatened koalas 'saved by drinking stations'

Koala bears could be saved from extinction by installing drinking fountains in the Aussie outback, according to new research.

Experts are calling for urgent action to conserve the iconic Australian species which is threatened by global warming.

Now the cuddly bears have been offered a lifeline after new research overturned the long-held view that koalas get all their hydration from eating leaves.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, offers hope in the fight to conserve the threatened species, with researchers finding that koalas will regularly use artificial water stations - particularly during hot and dry conditions.