Guardian Dogs Penguin Protectors

Guardian Dogs Penguin Protectors

Penguin Protectors Eudy and Tula are on patrol. They protect the little penguins of Middle Island, off the coast of Australia. These shaggy, white Maremma dogs watch over the penguins that come to the island every year to breed. The smell of the dogs and their booming bark keep the penguins safe from red foxes. These foxes nearly caused the little penguins to vanish from this small, rocky island.

Little Penguins The little penguin, the smallest in the world, stands only 30 centimeters (12 in. ) tall. It lives all across New Zealand and southern Australia. It is sometimes called the little blue penguin or the fairy penguin. During breeding season, little penguins live in burrows dug in sand. Once they lay eggs, they get ready for them to hatch. After the eggs hatch, adults fish during the day and return to their burrows at dusk to feed the babies. The chicks are ready to leave the nest when they are about eight weeks old.

For years, little penguins raised families on Middle Island, close to the city of Warrnambool, Australia. Then, in the 1990s, foxes began to appear on the island. During the summer, the tide is very low. Foxes can walk to the island from the mainland. As the number of foxes grew, they began to eat the little penguins. “ By 2005, the penguin population on Middle Island was nearly wiped out by fox attacks. That year, only four penguins were spotted, " says Kristie King. She keeps track of the penguins on the island. It seemed that the days of the little penguin on Middle Island might be over.

A Brilliant Idea One local chicken farmer had a brilliant idea. Alan " Swampy" Marsh suggested using Maremmas to protect the penguins. He used the dogs to protect his chickens, so why couldn't they protect penguins? Maremmas have been bred in Italy for hundreds of years. They protect farm animals-usually chickens or sheep一 from predators such as wolves and foxes.

Neighbors and conservationists came together to give the idea a try. The Warrnambool City Council and Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group created the Middle Island Maremma Project. To see if Marsh's idea would work, one of his dogs was brought to the island for a few weeks. These hero dogs turned out to be the perfect answer. Since coming to the island in 2006, there have been no known attacks on penguins by red foxes. " This has allowed the number of penguins on the island to increase, " King says. As of the 2013-2014 breeding season, almost two hundred penguins had returned to the island.