Australia wildfires: More than half of Kangaroo Island's 60,000 koalas killed in blaze

• Video report by ITV News Correspondent Debi Edward

More than half of the koalas on Australia's Kangaroo Island are thought to have died as a result of the country's ongoing wildfires.

Prior to the latest wildfire on the island, experts said at least half of the 60,000 koalas on the island have been killed.

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However, fires continued to spread on Australia's third largest island overnight and it is now suggested thousands more may have perished.

ITV News Correspondent Debi Edward visited a wildlife park where koalas who had been rescued are receiving treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.

Despite rescuers best efforts, it is thought hundreds more koalas will still be out in the dangerous conditions on the island and at risk.

More extreme conditions are threatening to sweep over mainland Australia and further evacuation orders have been issued.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service had warned that coastal towns south of Sydney including Eden, Batemans Bay and Nowra could again be under threat weeks after losing homes to the fires.

By Friday evening, the wildfires burning in that region were holding within containment lines, but winds could cause them to flare anew, Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters.

There are fears the two main fires on the mainland could link up, creating a so-called mega blaze.

Protesters have taken to the streets of Sydney demanding action on climate change.

The fires have had a devastating impact on wildlife in Australia, with an estimated billion animals thought to have died.