After ten years of service, an Australian dog that is credited with saving more than 100 koalas from bushfires is retiring.
One of the first dogs in the nation to be taught on the scent of koala hair was Bear, an 11-year-old Australian Koolie.
Using canines to find koalas is a “novel” strategy, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “No one knew if it could be done,” IFAW head of programs Josey Sharrad stated in a statement regarding Bear on Monday.
As a pup, the four-legged hero’s boundless energy made it tough to stay indoors, but he found his true potential in the bush.
“He literally went from chewing the walls of a Gold Coast apartment to roaming through the Aussie bush on a mission to save our most iconic species,” Sharrad said.
During the Black Summer bushfires that raged across Australia’s eastern seaboard in late 2019 and early 2020, destroying thousands of houses, damaging millions of hectares, and engulfing cities in toxic smoke, Bear’s skills saved over 100 koalas.
The “joyful and goofy” tail-wagging detective retires with a long number of honors, including Puppy Tales Photos Australian Dog of the Year and Animal of the Year.
He also features in a “dogumentary” called “Bear: Koala Hero”, and in a book, “Bear to the Rescue”.
With one of his former handlers, Bear will start a slower-paced chapter on the Sunshine Coast where he will play his favorite game, fetch, and receive belly massages.
One of his former handlers, Romane Cristescu, said Bear had been a “tireless ambassador for koalas for a decade”.
“He melted hearts all around the world, and opened many doors so we could have critical and difficult conversations about climate change and its impacts on the threatened koalas, as well as so many other species.”
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