There’s nothing ordinary about this pup. His name is Bear, he’s a selfless hero hailing from Australia, and his life’s mission is to save koalas. The rescue pup was trained by the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Detection Dogs for Conservation (USC’s DDC) team, in partnership with IFAW.
Bear is not only able to track down animals based on the scent of their faeces, but also their fur. This is a rare skill, and one that proved vital when the 2019 bushfires killed a third of the koala population. Those that escaped the blaze sought safety high up in the treetops. But this placed them at further risk, as they were harder to find and rescue. With his keen senses and limitless energy, Bear helped to find over 120 koalas affected by the bushfires – which was crucial given the devastating impacts the fires had on this iconic animal. Footage from USC and IFAW was used in the creation of this film."
Bear's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearthekoaladog/
IFAW: https://www.facebook.com/ifaw.za/
USC: https://www.usc.edu.au/"