Australian penguin protection project using dogs threatened — ABC News Australia
In the Australian city of Warrnambool, a project to protect a colony of little penguins on Middle Island with Maremma dogs has been scaled back due to erosion and dangerous deep waters around the island. The trained dogs previously stayed there for several weeks during the penguins' breeding season, but for two years none of them has remained on the island overnight, ABC News Australia reports.
The dogs were introduced in 2006 after foxes had nearly wiped out the colony. By 2016, its population had grown from fewer than 10 to 200 penguins. The project currently has three dogs: Mezzo, Isola and Oberon. Throughout the initiative's history, foxes have not attacked penguins when a Maremma was on the island.
Dangerous access to the island
Middle Island is located about 150 metres from the coast. Volunteers previously crossed a knee-deep channel to care for the dogs and count penguins, but the water has now become too deep and the current too strong. Rocky reefs also make access by boat difficult.
Marine scientist and former project coordinator Patricia Corbett said that no reliable estimate of the colony's population has been conducted since the 2019–2020 breeding season. Last season, counts could be carried out only several times in favourable weather, but no penguins were seen then. A wooden deck intended to prevent the dogs from destroying burrows or jumping off the island has also deteriorated. No eggs or chicks have been recorded there since the 2018–2019 season.
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Cameras instead of permanent protection
The dogs are still taken to nearby beaches, where they leave scent and fur intended to deter foxes. However, project founder Dave Williams stressed that this does not replace the permanent presence of a guardian dog on the island. According to him, foxes can swim and may reach Middle Island even in difficult weather conditions.
The Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare network, the project's main operator, has purchased cameras to install on the island during this breeding season. Warrnambool City Council does not plan to buy new dogs to replace the current ones when they grow old, as they can be trained only on the island itself. Authorities are meanwhile considering infrastructure upgrades to continue the initiative.
Additional threats to the colony
Patricia Corbett also pointed to risks associated with heat, marine heatwaves and severe storms, which may hinder breeding or destroy penguin burrows. She suggested that the colony may be affected by pollution similar to that found in birds and seals nearby.
Possible spread of H5 avian influenza is another concern. Unlike colonies on Phillip Island and in the St Kilda area, Middle Island's penguins are not vaccinated. Every spring, the island is shared with short-tailed shearwaters that arrive to breed; Corbett estimates their colony at at least 300 birds. A team from the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation surveyed the island using drones and found several dead birds, but did not establish the cause of their deaths.
