Meet Canine Bear, the Hero Dog Who Saved the Lives of Many Koalas

On October 12, 2021, a six-year-old Australian Koolie canine named Bear was honoured by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Canine Bear received the Animal Action Award at the House of Lords for his dedicated work towards rescuing Koalas during the 2019-2020 wildfires in Australia. The pup recently received a special honour for his marsupial rescue work.

According to the IFAW, they stated that Bear really deserves this award for being such a good boy and helping the rescue team find and rescue koalas. The furry one worked throughout the year so that he could help the team. He has helped in making the world a better place for all the koalas.

Before the devastating bushfires, Canine Bear didn’t have a job and was struggling to find his forever home. The canine was struggling to find a job and a house because the furry one was too enthusiastic and full of energy. Bear’s enthusiastic nature and his keen interest in working has made him an ideal candidate for the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Detection Dogs for the Conservation Team.

At the university, the canine received training for sniffing and finding koalas as well as other wild animals. Canine Bear excelled at the training. He was soon made an official team member and was allowed to work along with the rescuers. The rescuers were working with the IFAW and were giving their best to protect the wildlife.

During the 2019- 2020 wildfires in Australia, Bear gave his best and sniffed out more than 100 who were stuck in scorched areas and were in desperate need of being rescued. All thanks to Bear, these koalas were rescued on time. They were in desperate need of medical care and needed to recover from dehydration, malnourishment and burns.

Along with Bear, there was canine Jasper, a therapy canine from Lancashire, England who worked during the wildfire. He provided comfort to all the frontline workers there. Jasper was also honoured at the Animal Action Award.

Bear and Jasper are two canines who have highlighted a positive and important relationship between animals and humans. The furry ones have brought a huge difference into the lives of so many peoples as well as animals.