SYDNEY, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have warned that Sydney's koala populations are facing imminent risks from environmental threats and disease outbreaks.

In a new study, researchers from the University of Sydney analyzed tissue samples from 111 koalas living in Sydney's southwest suburbs and found that the populations were highly inbred with low genetic diversity, making them less likely to adapt to new threats.

The team said that koala populations in southwest Sydney were among the very few in the state of New South Wales (NSW) that were still free from chlamydia. The highly contagious disease that causes infertility and blindness has severely diminished koala numbers along Australia's east coast.

However, the new study found that Sydney's koalas were highly susceptible to environmental threats and disease outbreaks.

Elspeth McLennan, co-author of the study from the University of Sydney's School of Environmental and Life Sciences, said that living in urbanized areas limited opportunities for the koalas to increase diversity through breeding.

High genetic diversity enables a species to better adapt to environmental changes, giving it a better chance of survival. Enditem

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