A rescue dog named Bear has helped to find out more than 100 sick and injured Koalas in Australia’s bushfire since the fire began last year.As per reports,over one billion animals are estimated to have perished in the last bushfires season, prompting the Australian government to give wildlife and environmental groups an initial cash injection of USD 50 million.
The Australian Koolie is a part of Queensland’s University of Sunshine Coast’s (USC) ‘Detection Dogs for Conservation’ team which has been working with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and local wildlife groups to rescue koalas living in the bushfire-ravaged areas.
Bear has been on the ground since November 2019 and has so far found 100 sick or injured Koalas in the affected areas of New South Wales and Queensland.
The USC with a help of drone mounted with a thermal camera locate the koalas in trees and then the dog is sent in to use his sense of smell to find them.
Most of the koalas which suffered a blow during the severe bushfire conditions this summer were found near the Two Thumbs Wildlife Sanctuary in the NSW alpine region, Nerriga in the southern tablelands and Kandanga in Queensland’s Gympie region.
IFAW wildlife campaigner Josey Sharrad said Bear brought the team hope during the devastation due to the bushfires starting from September 2019 until March 2020.
“He found koalas despite all those harrowing conditions. That brought us hope,” she said.
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