India, May 27 -- New research from the University of Sydney in Australia has provided the first associative link between heat stress and koala mortality.

The research, published in Biology Letters, highlights how even moderate temperature rises can increase hospital admission and mortality risk in koalas. They underscore the need to identify and mitigate heat-related threats to wildlife as the climate continues to warm.

A team of researchers led by Valentina Mella from the Sydney School of Veterinary Sciences, analysed hospital admission records of almost 12,000 koalas in the Australian state of New South Wales between 2020 and 2022. They mapped these (and deaths after admission) against the seven-day and 14-day average temperature lead...