Possums in the roof, koalas in bed: study shows how wildlife turns to Australian homes after habitat loss

Possums in roofs, bats in curtains and ducks on balconies are increasingly turning Australian homes into makeshift refuges, new research suggests.

Researchers analysed a decade of wildlife rescue reports and found that brushtail and ringtail possums accounted for half of all cases involving animals in buildings. Microbats and bare-nosed wombats were the next most common species.

The reports also recorded animals in letter boxes and air-conditioning systems. The findings show how native wildlife is entering buildings after losing parts of its habitat.