Bear to the rescue by Romane Cristescu and Nic Gill illustrated by Sylvia Morris

During Australia's 2019-2020 wildfire season, Bear used his skills to sniff out over 100 live koalas stuck in scorched areas and in need of rescue. Because of Bear, these koalas were able to get the medical care they desperately needed to recover from burns, malnourishment, and dehydration.

One of the most special things about Australia that sets us apart from other countries is our unique wildlife such as the platypus; kangaroo; wombat and of course the koala. I had Canadian visitor years ago and all she wanted to do on our long, long drive from Sydney in NSW to Port Stephens in Queensland was to see a koala - alas this did not happen. In fact, I have lived here all my life, and I have never seen one in the wild but in the 1950s they were seen in the playground of my former school - how amazing. While we do have some fantastic animals here, we also have the devastation of bushfires and since koalas live in trees, bushfires are one of the worst things that can happen to their habitat. I had no idea, though, that dogs were used to find stranded koalas so that wildlife workers could rescue and save them.

It is a little cheeky that the name of the dog in this true story is 'Bear' because the koala is not a bear. Luckily this crazy puppy finds his purpose and after some special training he quickly learns to identify the smell of a koala.

"Now I wasn't looking for koalas to study them. I had to find them to save them! This wasn't like working in the forests at home. The air dried my nose and stung my eyes. I wore special boots to protect my paws."

You could share this book with your youngest students who I know love to read and hear true stories about animal heroes. Here is an extensive Pinterest of picture books with true animal stories including many that feature dogs. This could be an interesting mini topic to explore with your library group or class. Here is a link to the teachers notes. Read more about Bear here. The Bottom Shelf blog also has more information about Bear and a short video you could use in your library. 

As I mentioned this book is based on the work of a real dog named Bear - he is an Australia Koolie. Bear worked during the 2019-2020 megafires. He has received two awards - Animal Welfare Animal Action Award (2021) and Puppy Tales Australia Dog of the Year Awards medal (2025).

Unlike most dogs trained to detect koala scats, Bear’s exceptional skills allow him to find live koalas resting high in trees. Over the years, Bear has saved over 100 koalas, playing a vital role in search and rescue missions during bushfires, vehicle strikes, and disease outbreaks. 

His work has been pivotal in efforts like Black Summer, where every koala he saved made a tangible difference to endangered populations.

"We think Bear really deserved this award because he's been such a good boy in helping us find and rescue a lot of koalas, especially during the bushfires, but he works throughout the year to help us in our job to make a better and safer place for koalas. We'll give Bear extra pats and extra play for his award," Bear's handler, Dr. Romane Cristescu of the University of the Sunshine Coast, said in a statement.

Thanks to CSIRO Publishing for sending me a review copy of Bear to the Rescue.

Dr Romane Cristescu trained as a vet before studying koala genetics. She is the Director of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Detection Dogs for Conservation, and the trainer/handler/manager of dogs, including Bear, who specialise in finding animals and their poo.

Nic Gill loves to share stories about nature, humans and other animals. After meeting Romane and her dogs, she was so impressed that she became a conservation dog handler herself and now works with her detection dogs in the Tasmanian wilds.

Sylvia Morris is an illustrator and science enthusiast. She loves illustrating picture books because it combines two of her favourite activities: reading and problem solving.