Trains were stopped and the police were called: a koala caused a stir at a Sydney train station

A wayward animal strolled through a station, posed on the stairs and almost jumped onto the tracks.

A koala in Sydney made a whole squad of police run and worry. One of the most popular animals in Australia and the world showed up at a railway station early in the morning, so a whole squad of police were sent to catch the koala.

The koala's movements were monitored by CCTV cameras. So its route was easily reconstructed. It leisurely strolled around the station, then studied the lift, but chose to go down the stairs. On the steps, the koala met an early passenger and even posed for a photo with him.

Trains in the area were ordered to slow down, as the koala - usually a reclusive species and one of Australia's most beloved animals - came dangerously close to the edge of the platform.

The marsupial eventually jumped over the station fence after police moved in to chase the koala off the tracks. Koalas are listed as endangered in the state.

Koalas rarely leave their home ranges where they live and feed, and are slow moving, so they are usually caught before they can break into a road or train station. So the sighting of a koala at a train station made headlines in Sydney.

Sydney's southwest is home to a large koala population, but they are under increasing threat from urban development. The NSW Government has invested $600,000 in the region as part of its koala strategy, appointing a dedicated koala officer, restoring habitat and monitoring the animals to avoid roadkill.