vandal chargeable for inflicting hundreds of dollars-worth of injury to seedlings at an Australian nursery has been unmasked as none aside from a “cheeky” - and really hungry - koala.

Humphrey Herington initially suspected goats or a possum have been destroying hundreds of his younger eucalyptus crops, costing his firm round A$6,000 (£3,000).

But he was shocked to reach at work one morning to discover a koala - who has since been named Claude - in a food-induced stupour, surrounded by the stripped crops, the BBC reviews.

“He looked like he was full. He looked very pleased with himself,” Mr Herington informed the BBC.

“I just couldn’t believe that it was a koala. I was shocked but I was also... a little bit impressed.”

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The crops Claude ate have been reportedly being cultivated by Eastern Forest Nursery, in northern New South Wales, to assist enhance native habitats for the endangered koala.

Staff first seen crops have been being destroyed a number of months in the past, however there have been “no signs” as to what could possibly be inflicting the injury.

Staff reportedly arrange a possum lure, however to no avail, earlier than finally catching Claude red-handed.

“We came out to work one morning and there he was, sitting there on a pole,” Mr Herington informed the BBC.

“And there were lots of plants missing that morning...I guess that day he must have had a really big feed and was too tired to go back to his tree.”

Mr Herington swaddled the koala in a towel and relocated him to some close by woodland.

“But a couple of days later, he came back and continued with his nightly visits,” Mr Herington added.

A koala-proof fence is now being erected to guard the seedlings, the BBC reviews.

The once-thriving marsupial is in severe decline in Australia, following habitat destruction, bushfires, highway fires and home canine assaults.

The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are lower than 57,920 Koalas left within the wild, presumably as few as 32,065.