In one of Australia's most deadly fire season ever, the world is shocked to see how the blazes have ripped through over six million hectares (14.8m acres) of land in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. At least 25 people have died, while 480 million mammals, birds, and reptiles are estimated to have been killed in NSW alone since September 2019.
Most of the koala population is feared to have died in the fires. The adorable animals flee to the top of trees to escape flames, the worst place for them to be in those circumstances, and hard for rescuers to see and save. However, some brave dogs have made this task far easier with their sniffing capabilities.
Bear, a border collie cross, along with Taylor, a springer spaniel, became true heroes in their koala saving efforts.
Bear works with non-profit IFAW Australia and trained to detect and rescue koalas at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His high energy made him the ideal candidate, and he's now part of a team.
Taylor has already found eight koalas from the scent of either koala fur or scat. The pup was bred from working lines and her siblings and dad work in animal detection. She can also scent foxes, cats, rabbits, quolls, and rats, and mark for predators nearby when working.
These koala detection dogs will alert under the tree, as close to the marsupial's location as possible. Then, volunteers and aid workers can spot the koalas, scale the tree indicated, and save them.
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is currently taking care of more than 30 burn victims, thanks to donations from people around the globe. You can help here.
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