By Laura Moss
In 2005, the Little Penguin population of Australia’s Middle Island dropped to fewer than 10 birds. When volunteers began keeping records in the 1990s, more than 700 penguins lived there.
Faced with the possibility of losing the colony entirely, the Warrnambool City Council knew something had to be done, but they faced numerous challenges.
At low tide, the small rocky island, which is situated just a few hundred feet from the mainland, is easily accessibly by trampling tourists and hungry predators — namely, the European red fox, an introduced species.
A boardwalk was built to keep people off the rookery and efforts were made to shoot and poison the foxes, but the penguins continued to die.
Then David Williams, an environmental science student who worked part-time at a free-range egg farm approached the city council with a proposal. He suggested placing Maremma sheepdogs — the same dogs his employer used to protect chickens — on Middle Island.
Maremmas have been used in Italy to protect sheep from predators and thieves for centuries. Unlike herding breeds that nip and chase flock, these dogs bond with the animals they protect and integrate with the herd, making them ideal guardians.
The city council agreed to a four-week trial to test Williams’ idea, and a Maremma named Oddball — an experienced chicken protector — was selected for penguin duty. Seven years later, the experiment continues. More....