Detection dogs sniff out koala droppings to help save species

A team of five detection dogs is tracking down koala droppings across NSW and Queensland to provide samples for experts to examine.

Koala poo is being sniffed out by detection dogs to help experts understand how the marsupials are recovering from the Black Summer bushfires.

A team of five dogs has been deployed to track down koala scat, providing samples for experts to examine the eucalyptus tree dwellers’ health by looking at hormone levels, gut microbiome and pathogen prevalence.

The research, a partnership between the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the University of Sunshine Coast Detection Dogs for Conservation (DDC), is probing how resilient koalas are to natural disasters and providing insight into the endangered species’ health.

The project began immediately following the tragic 2019-20 bushfires, with detection dog Bear sent to locate koalas in badly affected areas.

Dogs are helping experts examine koala recovery after the Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Ian Brown.

Bear, who is trained to track down koalas through the scent of their fur, was then joined by four other equally talented detection dogs to sniff out the marsupial’s scats across forest floors in NSW and Queensland.

DDC director Romane Cristescu is hopeful 2022’s search will yield encouraging results.

“We are hopeful that what we find this year – two years post fire – will bring some much-needed good news,” Dr Cristescu said.

“The first round of surveys taught us that even in fire-devastated landscapes, we could locate surviving koalas.

“Now we will look at health markers, and also compare the number of individuals we detected in each survey, to build a picture of the species’ resilience to such events.”

The 2019-20 bushfires devastated koala habitats. Picture: Rob Blomfield.

The research is critical given koalas’ endangered status across NSW, Queensland and the ACT, according to IFAW conservation officer Wendy Simpson.

“We know the fires significantly impacted these koala populations, and we hope through this research we can better understand koala health and how we can help koalas not just survive but thrive going forward,” Ms Simpson said.

“Anything we can learn from the tragedy that helps us protect koalas into the future is important.”

It’s hoped the study will offer insight into why koalas living in healthy habitats are also struggling to survive.