Paw-fect candidate: Australia finds new koala rescue dog

Sydney, October 1 — After an extensive search through numerous applications, the Australian animal welfare group International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has identified a new hero dog to replace Bear, the canine hero who saved over 100 koalas during the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020. Bear, a highly skilled rescue dog, retired in March after a decade of service as one of the first dogs trained to detect the scent of koala fur.

Bear's skills were instrumental in locating the marsupial survivors of the bushfires. Despite the enormity of the task ahead, IFAW launched a search for Bear's successor, acknowledging that the country had lost "very big boots to fill." Among the dozens of applications received, including some from the United States, an Australian koolie named Oaka emerged as the leading candidate.

IFAW's Oceania head of programmes, Josey Sharrad, expressed her excitement about Oaka, stating that Bear had demonstrated what was possible when a rescue dog finds its true purpose. Oaka, like Bear, faced challenges early in life but was identified as a potential candidate by a local rescue group. The group's director of canine units, Frederic Chappee, described Oaka as "almost too good to be true."

Oaka's exceptional skills earned her praise, and IFAW's director expressed hope that Oaka could fill the void left by Bear. With Australia's fire services predicting more intense bushfires during the upcoming northern hemisphere summer, Oaka's training will be expedited. Oka's training will ensure that Australia's iconic koala species is protected by a skilled koala detection dog during the upcoming fire season.