It's almost impossible to ignore images of the fires that have destroyed acres upon acres of Australia since September (17.9 million to be exact, according to Vox). Both humans and animals have lost their lives while firefighters continue to battle the flames. In fact, many fear that the koala population in particular is in jeopardy.
Enter specially-trained dogs who sniff out and rescue koalas in distress.
Sure, these good boys and girls might look like they're only up for a good time, but they are serious about training to save their fellow animals.
ABC News correspondent Maggie Rulli spoke to TATE Animal Training Enterprises owner Ryan Tate -- who trains his dogs in detector services -- about the dozens of koalas they've saved in the recent fires. Tates and his dog, Taylor, have rescued eight koalas since September.
If conditions allow for it, Taylor can sniff out a koala by its fur. If high winds are thrown into the equation, then Taylor searches for koala poop to determine where the animal has been, allowing a human to step in and scan the trees for said koala.
The command for the detection dogs is: "Koala, find!"
It can't be stressed enough how crucial the detection dogs are for finding koalas, since it's estimated that 1 billion animals have died in the Australian fires since September.
To learn how you can help with rescue efforts, visit the Australian Red Cross. The New York Times has also compiled a list of ways to make a difference.