Penguin Guard Dogs
March 17th, 2007Was listening to ABC newsradio yesterday and a radio segment from the NPR US radio station caught my attention. It had to do with a fairy penguin population which annually arrive at Middle Island near Warrnambool to mate and lay their eggs. Problem is, a land bridge that connects the island to the mainland at low tide was discovered by some foxes, who took a liking to the taste of penguin. Efforts to stop the foxes failed, and it wasn’t long before only a few dozen breeding pairs of penguins were left.
So a local chicken farmer decided to deploy some of his guard dogs onto the island in order to deter the foxes and prevent further eradication of the penguin population. Despite skepticism from some experts, who said the dogs would eat the penguins, the idea was very effective. The dogs leave the penguins alone and the foxes stay away from the island.
Check out these articles for more.
I should mention that the guard dogs being used are Maremma dogs, a dog bred in Italy for centuries to guard vulnerable livestock. They are large dogs with an instinct and inherent ability to herd and protect animal groups they are in charge of. I recall having met one of these dog some years back, and thinking they were cool then. This story confirms that attitude. More about the dog can be found at the following links
