[ SHOWGSD-L ] OT FWD AU<>Sheepdogs guard Penguin Colony
- From: stormy435 <stormy435@xxxxxxx>
- To: "showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:59:26 -0800
Forwarded
Tue Jan 6, 2009 8:13 pm (PST)
Sheepdogs Used to Guard Troubled Penguin Colony
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 6.09
Science & Technology
Buzz up!
Photo via marcmc
Sheepdogs have helped to guard a colony of fairy penguins, and
proven themselves to be very good at their job. So good, in fact, that
conservationists are pondering what other threatened animals these K9s
can protect.
A colony of fairy penguins on Warrnambool¢s Middle Island off the south coast
ofAustralia has dwindled dramatically due to attacks by foxes and wild dogs.
However, their numbers are rising again thanks to their new bodyguards
- two Maremmas, an Italian breed of sheepdog that bonds with the flock
or herd of animals it is protecting.
'We're now starting to see some great results,' said Middle
Island Maremma Project manager Ian Fitzgibbons. 'We've had our best
penguin count since we began in 2006 with over 80 birds counted in one
night and I think we have about 26 chicks on the island too.'
Using the dogs to protect this penguin colony was just an
experiment, but it's proven to be a successful one. Now, researchers of
various other threatened animals can scratch their heads and ponder if
a couple of Maremmas might just help our their own efforts.
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