Hero dog retires after rescuing koalas for 10 years

A koala detection dog, who's been described as a "hero" by his handlers, is retiring after spending a decade helping to rescue wildlife in Australia.

Bear, who's an Australian koolie, began his special training in 2016 and became one of the first dogs in the country trained to detect the scent of koala fur.

Since then, he's been putting his skills into action, helping to save the lives of more than 100 koalas during the Australian bushfires of 2019-2020.

But now that he's 11, he's taking a well-deserved break and is swapping work for belly rubs and his favourite game, fetch.

One of Bear's former handlers, Romane Cristescu, said he "melted hearts all around the world", adding that he was a "tireless ambassador for koalas".

During his career, Bear became particularly well-known for wearing little red boots, which helped to protect his paws whilst he was working near fires.

Romane explained that Bear helped to start "critical and difficult conversations about climate change" as well as its impact on wildlife.

He won several awards for his work and was even recognised by celebrities including actors Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Josey Sharrad, who works for International Fund for Animal Welfare, said that his "energetic nature" made him perfect for the job, as well as his "obsession" with balls, which he was given as a reward when he found a koala.

"His legacy will continue through the next generation of detection dogs who will follow in his famous pawprints," she added.