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Middle Island Maremma Project Warrnambool Great Ocean Road

2015-16 Here is the problem!

Middle Island Warrnambool was once in deep water just off the mainland, but still protected

from the mainland by water that flowed between the island and mainland.

The building of the Warrnambool Breakwater and Viaduct Road in the late 1890’s started the

process of siltation of Lady Bay and surrounds. This process continues today and has resulted in

Middle Island now becoming exposed to foxes, or people, walking to the island on low tide

through summer.

Deakin University student, Rebecca Overeem, started surveying the Little Penguin colony in

1999 and in January 2000 the population was estimated to be 830 with 342 active burrows

counted. Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group were involved in penguin monitoring from

this time and the population numbers were found to be in steady decline because of constant

fox encroachment and people damaging penguin habitat. In September 2005 the Deakin survey

team found only 4 penguins and 52 active burrows.

What to do? Something had to change!

A member of the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group (Dave Williams) was working with a

local chicken farmer (Swampy Marsh) whilst completing his degree at Deakin Warrnambool

campus. At a morning tea break one day Dave and Swampy were discussing the front page of

the local newspaper that had an image of over 300 birds killed on Middle Island by foxes.

Swampy quipped “they should put a couple of maremmas on that island – that would sort out

the foxes”.

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From that quip began a long effort to look at how this could be done – dogs on an island that

was home to a penguin breeding colony had never been done before, in fact they had never

been used to protect any native animals.

Approvals Needed

Middle Island is crown land and managed by Warrnambool City Council (WCC). Initial approvals

for the trail of maremmas on the island was required by WCC. Further approvals from Parks

Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment as well as animal ethics oversight by

RSCPA.

Ultimately WCC took the decision to approval the trail of Oddball (Swampy’s dog). This was a

brave decision that required a great leap of faith from Council staff, Coastcare volunteers and

the local community. One concern was how the dogs might interact with the penguins, but with

the numbers so low and the dogs being used to working with birds it was considered worth a

try. Another concern was the dogs would escape from the island and attack people. To test this,

a maremma was brought into the council meeting to hear the debate – the trail was approved

and Oddball was sent to Middle Island.

During the 2006-2007 penguin breeding season the trial began and a student from Deakin

(Kristy King) evaluated its success. The trial was shown to be successful as no foxes encroached

the island, the penguin population went up to 116 and the dogs appeared to have no negative

effect on the behaviours of the Little penguins.

The trail was turned into a full time project and continues to this day. Since the maremmas have

been placed on the island there has been no evidence of foxes getting onto the island and no

penguins have been killed by foxes.

There Have Been Challenges

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This is a world first use of maremma dogs to guard native fauna – there were no rule or guide

books to follow and there have been challenges along the way. Some of these challenges

included dogs leaving the island, dogs playing with penguins resulting in 10 being stressed and

dying, having the funding and resources to operate the project and people going to the island

unauthorised. It has been a case of learn as we go and today we have a Warrnambool Method

for helping to conserve wildlife.

During the project one thing has been consistent – the Warrnambool community has supported

the protection of the penguins and their special Middle Island.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Involvement

In 2013 Warrnambool City Council were considering their role in the management of the

maremma dogs. The dogs had been operated as a environmental expense and whilst effective in

its delivery of the service, the council were looking to broaden the role of the project to include

an education and tourism outcome.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (FHMV) operates as the city’s maritime museum and outdoor

heritage precinct overlooking Lady Bay. The dogs care was transferred to FHMV allowing the

project to continue and the Middle Island penguins to be protected by their maremma friends.

Education and Tours

A key element in the Middle Island project is to use the maremma dogs to gain the attention of

the community in the broader environmental issues of the city. Meet the Maremma sessions are

operated year round allowing locals and tourists the opportunity to learn about the Middle

Island project.

All proceeds from Meet the Maremma programs and associated merchandising goes towards

the care of the maremma dogs.

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Full details of the Middle Island Maremma Project can be found at

www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au

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Frequently Asked Questions

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 breed in many places along the southern Australian coastline, and were

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

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

large numbers of rats, dogs and cats that soon became predators of native species including the

little penguins.

Middle Island has a long history of human

disturbance. Early European settlers

established Warrnambool’s first fully

manned lighthouse station on the island

in 1855. The lighthouse keeper was a keen

naturalist and although his records

mention the presence of the shearwaters

on the island not mention has been found

of the little penguin.

The position of the lighthouse was not overly successful at preventing shipwrecks as the light

was not visible in big swells. Resupplying the island was also difficult during the winter months.

Thus, in 1871. the light along with all the associated buildings were moved to the current

location overlooking Lady Bay. The lighthouse and buildings are now central to the Flagstaff Hill

Maritime Village, which is also the off island home for the maremma dogs. The foundations of

the original lighthouse can still be seen in the middle of Middle Island, along with the remains of

a small supply barge that can be seen at low tide in the shallow waters on the northern edge of

the island.

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The first confirmed record of penguins in

Warrnambool was a report during the 1950’s in

the Standard newspaper, which intimated their

presence on Middle Island. 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 waves

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

penguins usually follow the same pathway to

their burrow each night. On Middle Island they

have created penguin ‘highways’ as by

following the same paths they have 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, such as the breakwater and viaduct, modified the natural water

flow through the Warrnambool port and this has led to deposition of sand and silt between the

mainland and Middle Island. This build up of sand has gradually made it easier for people and

foxes to get to the island..

Since being bought into Victoria in 1855 to control rabbits the red fox has been responsible for

the decline in population numbers of many native animals. The fox can survive in many different

environments and preys on small mammals, birds, reptiles lizards and insects. Foxes were not

always found on Middle Island but with the low water levels between the island and the

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mainland they can now easily access the island by walking over at low tide. There has even been

a report of a fox swimming over at high tide.

Foxes are now widespread across Australia although it is essentially absent from Tasmania

(except for a few recent introductions), the top end, North Qld and the Kimberley regions. It is

considered a major threat to our native animals and is also a significant pest for farmers. Due to

their large numbers and there widespread distribution across the continent getting rid is not

thought to be possible.

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 number of carcasses found after foxes had been on the island was 268 in 2004

although it is unknown if this was in one evening or over several days.

5. What was the lowest number of 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?

In the late 1990’s a Management Plan was written to help protect the penguins from foxes, dogs

and people who were also accessing the island and trampling on the burrows. During the

1999/2000 breeding season Rebecca Overeem recorded that 33% of penguin chicks and 16% of

eggs had been lost by visitors to the island.

Warrnambool City Council implemented a number of fox control measures over the next few

years including regular trapping, baiting, den fumigation and shooting, however these were not

effective in preventing fox predation of the penguin colony. They also built a boardwalk in an

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attempt to stop people trampling on the burrows and although this reduced the number of

people walking on burrows it did not stop it.

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

form the ideal habitat for the fox to live and from here they explore a wide range of

places including residents back yards, the beaches and of course Middle Island.

When the decision was made to trial the maremma guardian dogs on the island as a tool

to protect the penguins a survey was put in The Standard newspaper asking the

community what they thought about also closing the island to visitors. There

overwhelming response was to close the island as they could see it would stop the

burrows being trampled. Since that time the island has been closed to visitors and

except for one or two people per season this has been a successful strategy.

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 that live

in it) and they will chase away anything

that is perceived as a threat or unusual to

the territory.

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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 Department of Environment,

RSPCA and Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee.

A trial of the technique commenced in 2006 supported by a project plan and agreed key success

factors. The first dog, Oddball, was taken out to the island on November 15th with the

volunteers who were counting how many penguins arrived. Two of the volunteers camped out

on the island to watch the interactions between the dog and the penguins. No negative

interactions between the birds and penguins were observed. While the dogs were reported to

have investigated the birds in the beginning they soon lost interest and the penguins did not

retreat from the dogs when they did approach.

This trial was deemed a success as the

number of penguins on the island

increased that season, no foxes visited

the island, there was strong public

support to stop visitors to the island and

there was little if any environmental

damage to the island as a result of the

trial. Since that time the Maremma

Guardian dogs have worked to protect

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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 all over the island as the program has

developed we have moved to only having

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 and to have fewer

‘exploring escapes ‘ by the dogs.

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, they will chase it 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 this is to

prevent them becoming bored on the island and to

rest them from the harsh conditions on the island.

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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 that is their territory 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 generally walk to the island through the

water and sometimes waves (although they

don’t like waves much).

When training to protect chickens they are

slowly introduced to the birds under supervision.

Young maremmas 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 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 the penguins. 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.”

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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

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?

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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 arriving on the island. Each group of

volunteers have a walkie talkie and when the first

penguin is sighted the count continues for one

hour from that time.

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.

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.

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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 will 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.

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 that paid staff 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

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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 costs of maintenance to the boardwalk, fencing and shelter for the dogs as well

as replacing rusting gate hinges and locks resulting from the harsh environment on the

islandalnd.

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 in-

kind support)

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (cash and in-

kind support)

Deakin University Warrnambool (cash and

in-kind support)

Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee

Local Businesses – in-kind product support

Philip Island National Park (Penguin Colony)

Middle Island Steering Committee

Parks Victoria (the Government agency that 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)

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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 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)

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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 release of the Oddball Movie has also created

the opportunity to benefit from the large amount of

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

(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.

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

the summer Meet the Maremma’s Tours.

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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 based on the project. New school

programs have been developed using the dogs as a key

focus of interest in the Middle Island story, but that also

embrace wider educational themes around sustainability

and the environment. 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, managing

wildlife and the local waste stream that may impact on their

enjoyment of their own habitat.

We are very keen for students to develop an interest in sustainability and the environment

through the excitement of meeting or experiencing our Maremma’s. These dogs have an

amazing ability to grab students attention as many children have a connection to their own

dogs. As conditions generally prevent us from taking kids to the island we will link the project

back to their own learning environments such as the classroom 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.

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Remote Site Visit

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

style classes where they can visit Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village remotely

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 their protection role.

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

programs, visiting 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

Project Supporters

This project is a unique partnership

between a passionate community

group, Warrnambool City Council and

the broader Warrnambool community.

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Whilst many projects start with initial passion, many begin to fall away as core volunteers tire of

the constant effort required to keep the project going.

This project could not have been in operation since 2006 without the passion and dedication of

many volunteers, Warrnambool City Council Councillors and Staff, sponsorship from the local

business community, and the wider Warrnambool community.

Current

Deakin University Warrnambool

Scientific oversight and reporting, including in kind support through student support for

penguin monitoring.

Petstock Warrnambool

Suppliers of food and grooming for the two working dogs.

Lava Street Vet Clinic

Supplying vet care to the working dogs

Webcams

Telstra

Former and Foundation Supporters

Powercor, BHP Billiton, Phillip Island Penguin Foundation, Victorian Government