Meet the rescue dog that's helping koalas in Australia
Meet the energetic dog with a big heart.
This is Bear -- a dog that's being hailed as a hero for his rescue efforts during the Australian wildfire.
Bear is a rescue dog who wasn't suited to life in a home, but his high energy levels make him a perfect detection dog.
He has been in Ngunya Jargoon, an Indigenous protected area that was devastated by wildfires in October. Wildlife officials are crediting him with saving at least two koalas and for spotting several more that can be helped.
He's working with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
"IFAW specifically sponsors koala detection dog Bear, but there are other dogs which the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland works with, some of which are trained to sniff for koala droppings, whereas Bear is trained to sniff out koala fur and identify where there are live koalas," IFAW spokeswoman Clare Sterling told CNN.
Between 20 and 40 koalas live in the area, so any life that's saved is a huge accomplishment.
