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Middle Island Maremma Project Warrnambool Great Ocean Road

1. How long have little penguins populated the island? Why are they such an important part

of the island’s wildlife population?

The Little Penguin once bred in many places along the southern Australian coastline, and were

an important food source for the indigenous people, the where also eaten by the early

Europeans and American sealers and whalers in the early 1800’s. The early British settlers also

introduced large numbers of rats, dogs and cats, many of which became wild, these would

predate on the little penguins (and many

other native species).

Middle Island has been a disturbed

environment for many years. Early

European settlers to the district

established Warrnambool’s first fully

manned lighthouse station on the island

in 1855. There are early mentions,

although very small mentions, of the annoyance of birdlife on the island in Lighthouse Keepers

records. No mention is made of the species ‘annoying’ the 2 lighthousekeepers families that

lived on the island but one suspects it would be similar species that are found there now.

The position of the light was not overly successful as wrecks continued and the light was not

visible in big swells. Resupplying the island was also difficult through winter but this points

towards the changes in the landscape since the Breakwater and Viaduct area was built in the

early 1900’s.

The light was moved, along with all buildings to its current location overlooking Lady Bay in

1871. The lighthouse and buildings are now central to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village that are

the off island home for the maremma dogs. The foundations of the original lighthouse can be

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seen in the middle of Middle Island, along with a

small supply barge that can be seen in the

shallows at low tide.

More contemporary appreciation of the Little

Penguin colony was highlighted when the

Victorian Penguin Study Group undertook banding

of penguins on Middle Island the 1970s, although

earlier anecdotal reports suggest the early 1950’s.

The island provides breeding habitat for a number

of bird species other than Little Penguins, such as

Short-tailed Shearwaters, Black-face Cormorants

and Sooty Oystercatchers. Presumably the

seabirds play a role in increasing soil nutrient

levels on the island by feeding at sea during the

day then defecating on the island at night.

2. Are there any distinctive habits or behaviours of the little penguins that children may find interesting?

When Little Penguins are breeding on land, they live in burrows dug out of the sand, soil, in

crevices, in man-made structures or in vegetation. The spend a lot of time in their burrows

during the breeding season, trying to attract a mate, incubating eggs, guarding chicks and

feeding chicks. While they are in their burrows, populations of penguin fleas build up in the

burrows. Penguin fleas can be very numerous in burrows and can even give humans a nasty

itchy bite.

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Little penguins are great swimmers, being birds

they look like they are flying through the water,

as they come closer to land they ride the ways

in like a surfer and project themselves up onto

the land like a small torpedo, usually landing on

their feet, when they come up on to the land

they have a cute way of walking, they waddle

from side to side with their heads down

jumping over and up onto the rocks. The Little

penguin’s usually follow the same pathway to

their burrow each night, at Middle Island they

have created penguin ‘highways’ having eroded

the soft sandstone into paths and channels.

3. How did the red fox come to the island, or has it always been there?

Middle Island was once an offshore island completely surrounded by water. However,

construction of infrastructure that modified the natural water flow of the Warrnambool port has

led to deposition of sand and silt, which eventually created a new beach between the mainland

and Middle Island. This build up has gradually increased accessibility for people and foxes over

the years.

The red fox hasn’t always been on the island, it’s not native to Australia. Foxes are believed to

access the island by walking over at low tide, however there has even been a report of a fox

swimming over at high tide.

Australian native mammals are mostly marsupials, however when European settlers arrived in

the late 1700’s they brought with them many placental mammals such as cattle, sheep, pigs,

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cats, dogs and rats. In the mid 1800’s they

introduced into Australia rabbits. Not having any

predators rabbits breed very quickly into plague

proportions, to help control rabbits the red fox

was introduced as well. The British also liked to

go fox hunting as a sport.

Foxes are widespread across Australia although

it is essentially absent from Tasmania (except for

the few introductions), the top end, North Qld and the Kimberley regions.

4. When did the red fox first become a threat to the existence of the penguins on the island?

The first widely reported fox kill was in 1993, when the Penguin Study Group found 50 penguin

and shearwaters killed on the island. This incident was followed by kills in 1995, 1997, 1999 and

every single year thereafter until 2006.

The highest kill find was 234 in 2004 although it is unknown if this was in one evening or over

several days.

5. What were the fewest penguins documented and when?

The fewest penguins recorded was in the 2004-2005 breeding season when Deakin University

researcher Rebecca Overeem undertook an arrival count and recorded only 4 penguins

returning to the island.

6. What were some of the strategies considered and implemented to protect the penguins?

Did some fail?

Warrnambool City Council implemented a number of fox control measures over many years

including den fumigation and shooting, however these had not been effective at preventing fox

predation of the penguin colony.

Foxes are an ongoing management issue for the city. The area leading to the island has

extensive coastal vegetation and a popular park area with associated wetlands. These

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form the ideal habitat for the fox to explore a wide range that includes residents back

yards, the coast and of course Middle Island.

7. Why the Maremma Guardian Dogs ? (They aren’t sheep dogs) What is special about this

breed?

Maremma Guardian Dogs were bred in

Italy and have been used to protect

agricultural stock from predators for

several hundred years. The dogs have a

natural instinct to bond with a particular

territory (including the animals which live

in it) and they will chase away anything

that is perceived as a threat or unusual to

the territory.

8. When were the Maremma first considered as an option? What had to happen for this to take place? When did the dogs first come to the rescue of the penguins?

The Maremma Project was initiated when a local free range poultry farmer Alan ‘Swampy’

Marsh suggested that the Warrnambool City Council use Maremma guardian dogs to guard the

penguins from foxes. (Mr Marsh has used maremma dogs to protect his poultry from attacks

from foxes and feral dogs for many years )

Warrnambool City Council are the land managers for this piece of the coastline and therefore

using the maremma dogs required their approval. Before this was provided a range of specialist

reports were provided from Parks Victoria, State Government Dept of Environment, RSPCA and

Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee.

A four-week trial of the technique commenced in 2006 supported by a project plan and agreed

key success factors for the trial.

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This trial turned into a 12 month project,

and since that time the Maremma

Guardian dogs have worked to protect

our Middle Island Little Penguin colony.

9. How many dogs are currently on the

island? What are their names and

ages?

The program currently uses two dogs

which live on the island for several days a week during the penguin breeding season.

Their names are Eudy and Tula and they are the 6th and 7th dogs to be used in the

project.

10. How do they protect the penguins from the red fox? How do the dogs and penguins

interact?

Whilst originally the dogs were permitted to

roam over the island as the program has

developed we have moved to only have the

dogs on the enclosed boardwalk area.

This provides us with some assurance they

will stay on duty, as well as protecting them

from unauthorised visits to the island from

people. This balance has allowed us to

maintain a fox free record since the dogs

have gone to the island along with fewer

‘exploring escapes ‘ by the dogs.

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The maremma dogs have a strong protective behaviour and will scare off any intruders on the

island by barking and if a fox is close enough chasing the fox away. There is no evidence our dogs

have had to confront a fox on the island however if they did they do have the ability to kill a fox.

The dog’s go to the island for several days at a time

before being returned to the mainland so as not to

become bored on the island and to rest them from

the harsh conditions on the island. There are strict

animal welfare protection protocols which are

followed to make sure the dogs are safe, happy and

are not exploited in any cruel manner.

11. Do the dogs receive special training?

The dogs are bonded to the land as early as possible. The general way we do this is to take the

new pups to the island with us through one summer to meet the existing dogs. These young

pups don’t stay on the island for their first summer but begin the bonding process. Maremma’s

can be nervous around water and while this initial fear of water helps keep them on the island,

this is quickly overcome and they general walk to the island through the water and sometimes

waves (although they don’t like waves much).

When training to protect chicken they are slowly

introduced to the chickens under supervision.

Young maremma are like most puppies in that

they want to play often. This playing can be a bit

rough for chickens so we introduce them by

placing them in a cage in the middle of the

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paddock first. After the initial curiosity of seeing them through the cage we let them out to

interact with the dogs. They quickly learn that these are normal animals for their areas and will

protect them.

Penguins are the same – really they are “Chooks in Dinner Suits”.

We slowly allow them to see the penguins and also see them arrive at dusk. The dogs learn this

is normal and quickly understand to protect these. They do like chasing other birds and love to

scare away pigeons or catch them if they can. We have also found a dead rat they we first saw

on the island during a summer tour. The next day when I did the tour I found the dead rat that

appeared to have been “played with.”

12. How are the dogs cared for while on the island? What do they eat? Where do they sleep? During the off-season (which is what months?) where do the dogs go?

Like all parts of the project the care of the dogs is a partnership between many groups.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (www.flagstaffhill.com) have been tasked with caring for the dogs

since 2013. Our main ‘dog handler’ is Phil Root who is also the village gardener.

When on the island the dogs generally stay on the land side of the island as they generally feel

this is the location of most threats. There is a shelter on the southern side of the island but I

have not observed them sleeping in the shelter. On the north side of the island we place shade

cloth over the walkway in three places to allow the dogs some shade from the summer sun.

When off the island the dogs live at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. This includes their breaks

through the summer period, and the off island non-

breeding period which tends to be between September

and March but can vary depending on the penguin

colony behaviour.

This site has been part of the learning cycle of the

project as it places the dogs in an area that has visitors.

This public location is part of the further public

engagement that the project started in 2013 when the

dogs were placed in the care of Flagstaff Hill Maritime

http://www.flagstaffhill.com/

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Village (Warrnambool’s largest paid entry tourist attraction)

We have been observing the dogs behaviours whilst in this area that overlooks the bay area.

Whilst they are active in barking at any gusts that walks to the edge of the fenced space they

have not been seen to be aggressive or stressed in the area.

To further give the dogs are break from people we have a farm north of Warrnambool that we

are allowed to take the dogs. This again shows the community support for the project as the use

of the farm is donated and they couple that live on the island feed and care for the dogs. This

further support allows us to cover Phils or my leave through the year.

13. How have the dogs allowed the penguins to repopulate? About how many penguins are

on the island now? How do volunteers/conservationists count them?

Once every two weeks during the breeding season, a group of Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare

Group volunteers, with a volunteer co-ordinator, cross to the island just before dusk. The

volunteers are trained in how to look for

penguins and how not to disturb them as they

come onto land and head to their burrows. There

are a number of specific sites that volunteers

monitor to gain an estimate of the number of

penguins are on the island. Each group of

volunteers have a walkie talkie and when the first

penguin is sighted the count continues for one

hour.

The penguins are monitored by visual sighting by the volunteers. When volunteers are at their

sites they must be quiet and not move around, as the penguins will spook and turn around if

they become frightened. If they become frightened they may not go back to their burrows that

night, so their chicks may not get feed.

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The penguins come up onto the land just after nightfall, this is the time that they are most

vulnerable to attack in the ocean from seals and sharks which patrol just offshore looking for a

meal.

There have been no recorded instances of fox predation on the island since the dogs were

introduced in 2006. This has allowed the number of penguins on the island to increase over the

years. The peak penguin arrival count in the 2013-2014 breeding season provided an estimate of

approximately 100 penguins. Volunteers count the number of penguins arriving on the island

during the nightly penguin parade through the breeding season to gain an estimate of the total

number of penguins on the island.

On daytime visits to the island, trained volunteers also check the penguins for micro-chips. If a,

bird does not have a micro-chip then one is inserted very carefully behind the head. By having

penguins micro-chipped, we can record their life history over many years:

To see if they return to island or go to another colony

To see if the breed successfully

To record weight/health

To gauge life length

This gives us an idea of how successful the colony is, sometimes we fill find penguins that were

micro-chipped at other colonies, however penguins generally return to their birth colony.

14. How many volunteers have come together to save the penguins? What are the different jobs they are responsible for? Does the group rely on donations to keep the project going? What is the official name of the project?

The project is called the “Middle Island Maremma Project”

The project has several principle cost areas.

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Penguin Monitoring

Donations to the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group help our volunteers to continue

monitoring the penguin colony. Volunteers count the number of penguins arriving on the island

during the nightly penguin parade. Some volunteers also undertake more detailed monitoring of

the health of the colony by recording, weighing and microchipping penguins. The project relies

on the efforts of about 200 volunteers. (Kristie King)

Care of the Maremma Dogs

This area is the most cash intensive area of the project given the paid staff that care for the

dogs. Dog care is a 365 day of the year effort although the summer breeding season is the most

intensive time given the daily trips to Middle Island. A yearly roster of the dogs location and staff

allocated to the care of the dogs is kept by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Actual time on the

island is determined through liaising with the Penguin monitors.

Infrastructure and Environmental Works

This can include maintenance to the boardwalk, fencing or shelter for the dogs as well as

replacing rusting gate hinges and locks given the harsh environment we work in.

There are many people and organisations that contribute to the project.

Organisations include:

Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group

(Volunteer and Cash Support)

Warrnambool City Council (Cash and Inkind

Support)

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (Cash and

Inkind Support)

Deakin University Warrnambool (Cash and

Inkind Support)

Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee

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Local Businesses – Inkind Product Support

Philip Island National Park (Penguin Colony)

Middle Island Steering Committee

Parks Victoria ( the Government agency which owns Middle Island)

Department of Environment and Primary Industry, Victoria. ( the State Government

agency responsible for overseeing environmental works and native animal protection)

Royal Society for the Protection of Animals ( the peak animal care and protection

organization responsible for monitoring the humane and ethical treatment of animals)

Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group (WCLG) has a Middle Island project co-ordinator

(Kristie King) who sits on the Middle Island Steering Committee and the board of WCLG.

WCLG contracts a Volunteer Co-ordinator each year to oversee the running of the breeding and

arrival counts (currently Lauren Kivisalu).

Data collected from the arrival and breeding counts are correlated and sent to the Phillip Island

penguin colony which is the peak penguin conservation organization in Victoria

A core group of volunteers have had long term commitments to the project and take leading

roles at breeding and arrival counts of the penguins (currently John Sutherland, Melanie Wells,

Vince Haberfield) and assist the Volunteer Co-ordinator when volunteers are on the island.

Funding for the project is required at various levels. The Warrnambool

Coastcare Landcare group has been successful gaining a number of

grants focused on the environmental works of the project. Grants are

competitive and fluctuate depending upon government policies. Public

donations have also been consistent across the project.

Warrnambool City Council has borne the majority of the financial costs

of the project. The project is continually reviewed and again is subject

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to differing council priorities threatening the annual funding of the project.

Public programs will increasingly be the main source of cash funding for the project. This

includes the Summer Tour program, yearly Meet the Maremma Schools and Groups programs as

well as merchandising the project. (Yes we also now have a Maremma costume that will

perform at public and private events for a fee going towards the projects costs)

The making of the new Australian movie “Oddball” (due for release in 2015) provides a great

opportunity to maximise the merchandise funding for the project, but also creates a challenge

to balance this interest in the Island and Dogs without damaging the success of the penguin

recovery recorded to date.

15. What efforts are in place to protect the penguins going forward?

Whilst the Middle Island Maremma Project

Committee have developed an annual working plan

we have now established a Middle Island Maremma

Project Strategic Plan. This plan is seen as important

to establish a longer term framework for the future

of the project.

The development of the Oddball Movie project has

also created the opportunity to benefit from this

public and government interest in the project. The

Strategic Plan will provide the opportunity to lock in funding partners across a longer term and

an opportune time review the core goals and success factors for the project.

WCLG has made a commitment for the continuation of the volunteer program to monitor the

health and growth of the penguin colony. WCLG’s Middle Island Penguin Monitoring Program

Figure 1 - Kids preparing to cross to the island as part of

the summer Meet the Maremma’s Tours.

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(MIPMP) has for the last few years contracted a Volunteer Co-ordinator to ensure that the

project moves forward into the future.

The Middle Island Maremma Project Strategic Plan will lock in Warrnambool City Council to the

core aims of the project to protect the Little Penguin colony of Middle Island.

The document will also be used to secure longer term funding from private businesses.

As part of the plan a Tourism and Business Plan has been established to also manage the

expected opportunities and demands that Oddball the movie will create.

16. How can kids help?

School Programs Developed and Operated

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village operate the public programs around the project. New school

programs have been developed to use the dogs as a key

attractor of interest in the Middle Island story, but also

wider sustainability and environmental themes. This

includes the on site visit to Flagstaff Hill to meet the dogs

along with walks around Stingray Bay to observe the island

using binoculars.

Students are encouraged to explore their own environment

and create projects about introduced pests and the local

waste stream that may impact on their enjoyment of their

own habitat.

We are very keen for students to create the initial interest in sustainability through the

excitement of meeting or experiencing our Maremma’s. Dogs have an amazing ability to create

interest as many children have a connection to their own dogs. As conditions generally mean we

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can’t take kids to the island we link the project back to their own learning environments such as

classrooms or home.

Teacher Resources

A new range of teacher resources is being developed and loaded to the education section of

www.flagstaffhill.com This helps the teacher plan their visit and complete in class activities both

pre and post the site visit.

Remote Site Visit

Future projects are being planned that will allow students to complete online teleconference

style classes where they can remote visit Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village

and do a class where they meet the maremmas and discuss the same

topics that a site visit would generate.

All fees charged for these programs go to the core costs of caring for the

dogs so that that they can perform the protection role.

Kids can encourage their teacher to use the project in their school

programs, visit either remotely or on site.

They may even consider Adopting A Maremma that for a small cost can

pay for the feeding of Maremma for one week.

Contact Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village to gain more information or go to www.flagstaffhill.com

http://www.flagstaffhill.com/http://www.flagstaffhill.com/

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