"Trained spaniels find seven surviving koalas after Australian wildfires"
While we generally focus on improvised explosive detection, our highly trained canine friends have recently been providing help with disaster relief work in Australia. Over the past few weeks, Australia has been devasted by bush fires, causing widespread concern regarding the well-being of the koala population. In an effort to explore new methods of recovering injured koalas, a team operating in the forest at Maryvale on Queensland’s South Downs has had success finding the unfortunate marsupials with the help of Taz and Missy: a pair of trained springer spaniels.
Although the pair have not been searching for koalas for very long, the initial success of their efforts is encouraging, with the team discovering seven koalas in the first two days of searching. The damage caused by the fires in Australia is still ongoing. Still, the fact that the duo has been able to sniff out the displaced critters amid the smoldering forest has given searchers hope that the koalas can repopulate the area. Taz and Missy underline how valuable our four-legged companions often are, and we hope that their team continues to bring relief to the native wildlife.
Our thoughts are with those affected by the bush fires. If you are interested in donating to the disaster relief effort, you can find more information here.