Curious koala takes stroll through Australian train station

A koala made an unexpected visit to a train station in Australia, prompting a brief police operation, government agency Transport for New South Wales (NSW) reported on Tuesday.

Footage released by the agency shows a koala wandering the platform at Casula Station near Sydney in the early hours of Friday morning.

"While it took a self-guided tour of the station, a train guard notified the Security Control Centre, and incoming trains were warned to slow down when passing through the area," Transport for NSW said in a post on Facebook.

"With the guidance of some NSW police officers, it found its way back to the bush safe and sound."

South-west Sydney is home to a large koala population, but urban development poses a growing threat to the animals.

The NSW government has invested millions towards conservation projects with the aim of doubling koala numbers in the state by 2050.