Remarkable dog sniffs out a glimmer of hope for endangered animal: 'Critically important'

The amazing ability of dogs to detect and track down specific scents could have profound effects on Australia's koala population.

Perhaps surprisingly, koalas are particularly prone to chlamydia. Infections can be found in as much as 89% of the cuddly animal's population, according to Wildlife Health Australia.

That's where man's best friend enters the picture.

As part of a World Wide Fund for Nature Australia effort, conservationists throughout New South Wales have brought along scent-detection dogs while conducting koala surveys. These dogs, specially trained to sniff out koala scat, have found previously undiscovered koala populations.

One dog, Max, revealed a group of koalas that researchers described as fluffier and darker than most — and, vitally, it appears to be chlamydia-free.

"We knew the koalas at Fernbrook looked different," Lynn Baker, an ecologist and researcher from Canines for Wildlife, said. "But if this is a genetically different and chlamydia-free group, then it's important that they are protected."

Koalas with chlamydia don't typically show visible signs of infection. But the disease can cause reproductive issues, blindness, and urinary tract infections, and it may result in death.

Research from the University of Queensland found that between 2009-14, chlamydia was the second-leading cause of death for koalas, accounting for 943 deaths in that timeframe.

"Remember that these deaths were just the reported ones," professor Joerg Henning said, "so the real numbers would be significantly higher."

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Using dogs' powerful sense of smell isn't new. In England, one border collie was trained to sniff out plastic from trash and save it from being thrown away in a landfill. Dogs have also been used to sniff out oil after spills.

But this time, dogs' noses could help save a species. As more chlamydia-free groups of koalas are found, scientists can study them to see what can be replicated to keep other koalas healthy. And conservationists can work to preserve the habitats where these healthy koalas are found.

"Without this crucial survey, we could have easily lost this koala population without ever knowing how critically important it is," said Gary Howling, CEO of Great Eastern Ranges, one of the groups conducting the koala surveys.

"Now, the government has the chance to help bolster this genetically diverse koala population's survival by quickly protecting the remaining habitat in the region before it is gone for good."

Those interested in helping the koalas can do so by signing a petition that demands stronger protection laws, donating to the cause, or symbolically adopting a koala.

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