Koala rescue dog who gave us hope in the fires star of new doco

He’s a hyperactive rescue dog with superior intelligence and a “never-say-die” attitude – the perfect pooch candidate to be trained to sniff out koalas for rescue after the devastating bushfires. Aptly named Bear, he is the star of an emotional new Foxtel documentary.

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A “goofball” dog with bright blue eyes and red bootees is helping to save koalas still affected by our devastating summer of bushfires.

Bear, a border collie/koolie cross, is a koala rescue dog and has been trained to sniff out the fur of the tree dwellers, giving wildlife workers the chance to save them.

Bear is a koala rescue dog.

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The hyperactive rescue dog is the star of an emotional new Foxtel documentary called Bear: Koala Hero, which premieres on the Lifestyle channel on Wednesday.

Presenter and conservationist Tyson Mayr, known to many as the Naked Traveller, travelled to some of the hardest-hit areas of NSW and Queensland with Bear as he helped track down more than 50 koalas.

“It is so incredible to watch because when he’s not working he really looks like an untrained dog, he’s so excitable and so full of energy. He’s a big goofball,” Mayr said.

“But the second they give him the call, he’s ready for work and off he goes.”

Bear: Koala Hero tells the story of the hyperactive rescue dog who has been trained to rescue koalas.

Foxtel presenter and conservationist Tyson Mayr with Bear. The dynamic duo has rescued 50 koalas.

Sporting a pair of bootees to protect his feet — a fashion accessory he isn’t fond of — Bear is set free to do his work in areas known to have been koala sanctuaries before the fires.

When he smells fur, he promptly sits below the tree and waits for his human friends to spot it.

Some of the koalas saved by Bear were suffering greatly, many burned, most malnourished and even plagued by chlamydia, which affects up to 90 per cent of some koala populations.

Koala mum Jessie is treated for her wounds under anaesthetic.

Jessie recovers and enjoys some eucalyptus leaves.

Jessie is reunited with her joey Amelia once she regained strength.

Tyson Mayr watches Kahn the Koala climb up a tree after he was released back to the wild.

Mayr, whose Queensland home was threatened by fires late last year, was shocked by the carnage he came across while filming.

“When the fires came through my house we were obviously concerned and their were people were losing their houses close to us but it was just different compared to the places we went,” he said.

“There was just nothing left at all. You get this real sense of loss and devastation, you really sense the desperation.”