Australia halted logging in a large stretch of woodland on the country's eastern coast Sunday to create a retreat for koalas and save the local population from extinction."Koalas are at risk of extinction in the wild in NSW -- that's unthinkable.

The Australian government has come up with a plan for a Great Koala National Park, which they say will help to protect koalas in the wild. The park will be a massive 476,000 hectares in size - that's double the size of England's Lake District.

A vaccine to protect Australia's koalas against chlamydia has been approved for the first time, a development that scientists believe could stop the spread of the deadly disease that has ravaged populations of the beloved endangered animal.

Australia is known worldwide for its unique wildlife. Travelers will come to the country to experience animals like the koala and kangaroo, which do not exist natively on other continent, in their natural habitats.