She’s only 10 years old, but Izzy Bee has already a big job that comes with a lot of responsibility.
The Aussie native’s veterinarian mom Dr. Ali Bee and dad Tim started the first dedicated koala rehabilitation clinic on Magnetic Island in Queensland, Australia, where they take in and treat injured koalas — and Izzy plays a big role in their recovery and release back into the wild.
Taking on feedings, cleanup and cuddling, the Bees run the rescue facility out of their backyard, where they’re currently caring for six orphaned babies.
“She just seems to have some form of communication with these guys that goes beyond words,” Dr. Bee says of her daughter in a clip of Animal Planet’s Dodo Heroes.
With many of the marsupials coming into the clinic with injuries due to cars, other animals and green ants, the Bees rehabilitate each one until they’re healthy enough to be released back into the wild.
As they continue their work with koalas, the family hopes they can secure funding to expand their clinic and help protect the dwindling koala population.
Dodo Heroes airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Animal Planet. The Bee family’s episode will premiere June 16.
