Rescue Dog Begins Training to Find Koalas After Fires and Natural Disasters

A two-year-old rescue dog named Oaka is beginning an unusual new career in Australia: learning to find koalas that may be trapped or injured after bushfires and other natural disasters.

Oaka was selected this year to become the newest koala detection dog for the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Innovation for Conservation. Her training comes after the retirement of Bear, an 11-year-old dog who helped locate more than 100 koalas following Australia’s devastating Black Summer bushfires.

From a Rescue Dog to a Wildlife Protector

Oaka is an Australian koolie from New South Wales. She had previously been surrendered because her energy and behaviour were considered difficult for her former family to manage.

Her potential was noticed by local dog trainer Avery Keller, who encouraged her to take part in the search for Australia’s next koala detection dog.

More than 50 applications were submitted from Australia and overseas. Trainers tested 13 dogs before Oaka emerged as the standout candidate.

She Has One Important Job to Learn

Oaka is being trained to detect the scent of koala fur rather than koala droppings. This allows detection teams to search for living animals, including koalas high in trees.

That makes the work particularly challenging. A koala may be several metres above the ground while the strongest scent reaching the dog can be carried away from the base of the tree.

Oaka is currently learning through scent and search exercises, initially using her favourite ball as a reward. Trainers will gradually introduce koala fur into the exercises as she develops the skills needed for field work.

Following in Bear’s Pawprints

Oaka’s predecessor, Bear, became famous for his work during Australia’s Black Summer bushfires in 2019 and 2020. He helped rescuers locate more than 100 koalas, many of which required veterinary treatment.

Bear retired earlier this year after a career that made him a well-known figure in Australian wildlife rescue.

Oaka has a similar background to Bear: both are rescue dogs with an intense drive to play and search. Trainers hope those qualities will help her develop into an effective detection dog.

Preparing for Future Emergencies

Oaka is being trained alongside drones, human search teams and other detection dogs. Once she is ready for field deployment, she could help locate koalas that become isolated from food and water following bushfires, floods and cyclones.

Her training is being accelerated because conservation groups expect another difficult summer in Australia. For Oaka, a dog that once needed a new home has now been given a very different purpose: helping rescuers find wildlife that cannot easily be seen.

Sources

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) — “Australia’s next koala detection dog is in training to continue Bear’s legacy” — September 30, 2026.
• InDaily Queensland — “Rescue dog finds new home as Sunshine Coast’s koala protector” — September 30, 2026.
• The Guardian — Australia news live coverage, including the appointment of Oaka as a new koala detection dog — September 30, 2026.