They may be cute, but these particular baby koalas also have a less obvious claim over the majority of their cuddly counterparts - they were produced as a result of artificial insemination.

Three of the joeys, all born on the Gold Coast in Queensland state, were today unveiled at a local wildlife sanctuary by scientists who are running an artificial insemination programme to preserve the vulnerable marsupial.

Aged from 10 to 12 months, the koalas were conceived using new breeding technology, involving mixing sperm with a special solution that prolongs its shelf-life.

Scientists said the programme, in which British scientists played a key role, would lead to the creation of the world’s first koala sperm bank, thereby enabling a genetic background check of each koala.

This would lead to screening for koala diseases such as chlamydia, which has damaged the species’ ability to breed.

"The next vital step is the use of chilled sperm and then thawed frozen sperm from the sperm bank," said Steve Johnston, the project leader and reproductive biologist at University of Queensland’s School of Animal Studies.

"We don’t want to claim the technique as the solution to koala conservation but more of a tool for genetic management and animal welfare, an extra insurance policy," he said.

Mr Johnston said that his team now had the technology to use transported koala semen in Australia and eventually overseas.

With the arrival of the new joeys, 25 koalas have now been produced by artificial insemination with a success rate approaching that of natural mating.

The koala is not classified as an endangered species but it is listed as vulnerable to extinction in parts of Queensland and neighbouring New South Wales state.

The species numbered in the millions a century ago but hunting, habitat reduction and infertility have reduced the population to between 40,000 and 100,000.

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