Dogs have a pretty great sense of smell. To put it into perspective for you, we have around 6 million olfactory receptors in our noses. They have 300 million.
So it's no surprise that this family dog was able to a tiny helpless baby in the middle of the great outdoors.
An amazing discovery
She probably knew the pup was in need of help, and went to her owners for assistance. But the dog's owners immediately realised that there was something very special about this little pup: it wasn't a puppy at all. It was actually a very young black bear cub. Sadly the mum was nowhere to be found - which is probably for the best as the owner soon realised. Mama bears are very protective!
The owners therefore contacted the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, who were then able to transport the cub to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
A new home
If the amazing family dog hadn't found this poor little guy, he probably would've perished from cold, hunger and dehydration, all alone in the forest. But thanks to the dog's rescue, the Wildlife Center was able to put him back on his feet! They even found a foster mother for him, so he was able to return to the wild where he belonged!
That is one heroic pooch!
