When only 6 were left, Australia deploys sheepdogs to save tiny penguins from foxes

[Liberal_in_LA]

Australia deploys sheepdogs to save tiny penguins from foxes

An Australian farmer’s simple solution to the killing off of a little penguin population became local legend and the subject of a popular film, “Oddball.”

“Massacred” read the banner headline in the local newspaper, the single word, as if describing an act of war. Below it was a photo of dead penguins and other birds, the latest casualties in Australia’s long history of imported species obliterating its native wildlife.

Foxes killed 180 penguins in that particular episode, in October 2004. But the toll on Middle Island, off Victoria State in southern Australia, kept rising. By 2005, the island’s penguin population, which had once numbered 800, was fewer than 10.


Today, the penguin population is back in the triple digits, and much of the credit has gone to a chicken farmer known as Swampy Marsh and his strong-willed sheepdogs.

“The powers that be wouldn’t listen to me until it got down to six penguins,” said Marsh, whose long-unused birth name is Allan. “They were desperate.”

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/australia-deploys-sheepdogs-to-save-tiny-penguins-from-foxes/

[BlueCaliDem]

1. I LOVE Swampy Marsh and his courageous sheep dogs!

[procon]

2. Those are Great Pyrenees.

They are excellent guardians because they trustworthy around baby critters, yet courageous enough to take on any predator is defense of their charges, and smart enough to make those decisions independent of human direction or training. Its instinctive, but every dog is different so some are better at the job than others. My Pyrs have literally save by life on two occasions and my livestock many times over throughout the years.

[polly7]

5. My half-Pyr rescue has saved my cat's life numerous times.

He has incredible intuition and will not chase or threaten any other cats than the two in town that have tried numerous times before I got Obie to kill my cat. I had him for a week when one more attack happened and was standing at the door trying to get my shoes on and grab the broom at the same time when he bolted out of the house and chased them to who knows where. I knew nothing about this dog, he was only over a year old then - he and my cat hadn't even bonded yet.

They just know. The most loveable, sweet dogs ..... and they'll protect anything they see as needing it.

[procon]

6. In the house, my cat rules my Pyrs.

The cat takes over the dog bed and wherever Powder goes to lay down, here comes the pesky cat, purring and doing shoulder rolls, trying to chew on her toenails, flopping across her legs, he just wants constant attention. When she has had enough of his antics she stands by the door to be let outside for some peace and quiet.

[polly7]

7. Lol.

That's cute. Powder must have the patience of a saint. I think all Pyr's do. I've seen videos of them being housed with baby farm animals - in one case, goats, that climb all over them, sleep on them, etc. I had little sheep that climbed on my back in the yard - those little hooves hurt!

My Obie would love some attention from my cat - he keeps trying to get him to rough-house and do 'something, anything' - but my cat knows he's just his protector, and doesn't really give him the time of day.

[procon]

9. Yes, that's why we got our first Pyrs.

The kids were raising 4H lambs, and we had Nubian goats for milk, but we had a terrible problem with loose dogs the neighbor. Even as as a youngster the Pyrs was an effective deterrent and stayed with the barnyard critters and bedded down with the flock. We took the dogs traveling with us to livestock shows and fairs, and they protected us from harm more than once. The critters have long gone, but we loved the Great Pyrenees and they've stayed as our companions... and the chew toy for Jack The Cat.

[polly7]

12. They are sooo smart and so protective, yet so gentle and such good companions.

Everyone in town knows mine - I've never seen a dog that loves people so much, and they just love him back. Your Jack The Cat sounds adorable too.

[OnyxCollie]

8. Great Pyrenees work in tandem with Pyrenean Shepherds.

http://pyrshepclub.com

The Pyrenean Shepherd is also known by its French name, Berger des Pyrénées (pronounced ber-JAE day pyr-ray-NAE). Fanciers of the breed in America often shorten his name to “pyr shep”. He is the traditional working companion of the larger dog, the Great Pyrenees. Together they aid the shepherd in his everyday workings with his herd of sheep or other livestock. Outside his homeland of France the breed is rare, but in France his popularity as a wonderfully devoted family companion has grown considerably since the early 1970s. Although small in stature and weight, it is said, “pound for pound, he has few equals in both herding or guarding”. The Bigourdan Shepherds remark on his tenacity and fearlessness.

My friend has one, and it's a crazy thing.

[SwissTony]

3. Foxes are beautiful creatures but they are not natural to Australia.

They were introduced so that people could have fox hunts. Yeah, I know.

We also introduced rabbits, horses, camels, cane toads...

[joeybee12]

4. Hooray! knr

[smirkymonkey]

10. Beautiful Dogs!

[Canid]

11. Maremmas, not Pyrs

Nice story! Good for all concerned, except for the introduced predators, of course. It's great to see dogs doing what they were bred to do.

These dogs, though, are Maremmas, not Pyrs.

http://www.bedlamfarm.com/?s=Maremmas A couple more, on the job in upstate NY. (Katz is very good at photography. He is a writer; he has no particular canine expertise, certainly none as a student of the GSD or Rottweiler breeds.)

There are several white livestock guardian dog breeds, including the better known GP, Kuvasz and Komondor. My friend, who used to have a GP cross, now has an Akbash.

[The2ndWheel]

13. It's funny that a sheepdog is used, as though a sheepdog is natural

Human beings, certainly an invasive species if there ever was one, using a dog, that we've bred to control other species that we've domesticated, to stop another species that we imported, from killing penguins that we want to save in order to feel better about ourselves.

I like the absurdity of it.