Sheepdogs and Little Penguins
November 6, 2015
After sheepdogs successfully saved a colony of little penguins in southern Australia from being wiped out by nonindigenous animals, Australians are hoping to use these dogs to save other native endangered species. Nonindigenous species—in this case, animals—are those brought over to a new, non-native country. They have no natural enemies in their new homes, enabling them to multiply quickly and drive out native animals and plants. For an island country such as Australia, species introduced by people visiting or moving to the country can wreak havoc on the native population of animals. The little penguin was almost decimated by such an animal.
Little penguins are the smallest penguin species, measuring only 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall. Many colonies of these penguins live in national parks or reserves, where they are protected. They were once common along Australia’s southern coast. However, when red foxes were imported for sport hunting in the 1800’s, they found the tiny, flightless birds to be easy prey. Cats and dogs found little penguins appetizing, as well. The penguins’ colonies on the mainland began disappearing, which is why most are now found on islands.
In October 2004, foxes killed 180 penguins on Middle Island, off Victoria State in southern Australia. A once-thriving population of 800 little penguins fell to fewer than 10 animals by 2005. One farmer had an idea to help little penguin colonies. He had trouble keeping foxes away from his free-range chicken farm. After seeing that his neighbor’s dog did a better job keeping the foxes away than he could himself, he knew a dog was just what he needed to save the chickens. Not just any dog, though, but a maremma sheepdog. The maremma sheepdog is highly territorial. It is a massive, strongly built dog first bred to guard sheep. It has a large, bearlike head and strong jaws and a long white coat, which is very thick around the neck and flanks. It stands from 24 to 28 inches (60 to 70 centimeters) at the shoulder and weighs from 67 to 100 pounds (30 to 45 kilograms). The maremma has been known in Italy for at least 2,000 years. But now, it has a place in Australia. After the farmer taught his dog to guard his chickens, the dog did just that. So, when little penguins could no longer hold their own against the nonindigenous foxes, he knew maremma dogs would be up for the task. After all, according to the farmer, little penguins are just “chooks (what Australians call chickens) in dinner suits.”
Today, the population of little penguins on Middle Island is back in the triple digits, thanks to the strong-willed maremma sheepdog. This strategy is now being tried elsewhere in Victoria, in hopes of protecting other indigenous species from non-native predators. One such species is the eastern barred bandicoot, a small marsupial not seen outside captivity since 2002. A zoo operator who interned on the chicken farm during his college years is now training two maremma puppies at an open-range zoo in Werribee, a Melbourne suburb. The puppies will learn to bond with sheep, which will also be present at the three trial sites, and with bandicoots, which are shy, nocturnal creatures. Because of the maremma’s success saving the little penguin colony, there is excitement about its potential to not just help penguins and bandicoots, but other threatened species as well. Only time will tell.