How Dogs Saved the World's Smallest Penguin | Back from the Brink

↠ Watch our „Back from the Brink" playlist: • Back from the Brink
Just off the coast of Warrnambool city, Australia’s Middle Island is home to some very unique residents. Not only is the little penguin the world’s smallest penguin, but this colony was at the center of a world first in conservation. When foxes hunted the 800-strong population nearly to extinction, help was at hand from an unexpected source. Find out how a local farmer and a team of highly trained Maremma dogs brought Middle Island’s little penguins back from the brink. Inspired? Learn more about the Middle Island Penguin Project and the pioneering work being done by Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare:
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🤗 Meet the current dog team: www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au
🐾 Support The Middle Island Project: www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au...
🐧 More about penguin monitoring & the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network: ​ www.warrnamboolcoastcarelandc...
📸 Book a guided tour & meet the Maremmas: whatson.warrnambool.vic.gov.a...
​🍿 Don’t forget to watch „Oddball” (Roadshow Films): • Oddball (2015) Trailer...
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🔔 Subscribe to our channel: kzbin.info...
▶️ And for more inspiring conservation stories check out our “Back from the Brink” series: • Back from the Brink
Special thanks to:
Lillian Maher
The Middle Island Project Team
Warrnambool City Council
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network
Bwr photography

🔗 Research sources:
Middle Island project Report 2021-2022
Middle Island project Report 2020-2021
Middle Island project Report 2019-2020
Middle Island project Report 2018-2019
Middle Island project Report 2017-2018
Middle Island project Report 2016-2017
Middle Island project Report 2015-2016
Middle Island project Report 2014-2015
Little Penguin Fact Sheet: www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au...
Maremma guardian dogs to protect Little Penguins: www.researchgate.net/publicat...
#terramatters #dogs #penguins #Australia

[@terramater]

The Middle Island Project is a great success! 😍🐾🐧 Dogs & humans are doing an amazing job and we hope that they can continue their conservation work for many more years! 👉🏼You can support the unique project here: www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au 🦊 For more adorable canines watch our „Cute fox babies underground“: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3q1kKmJh6aGrq8 💫 For more inspiring stories check out our 'Back from the Brink' series: rb.gy/rutb6

[@rjung_ch]

Was it the Europeans, or more specific the Brits who brought the foxes? I say it was the Brits. They made such a mess of the planet.

[@BiodiWerWieWas]

Hey friends, Lillian also told me that they are offering educational tours. So if you want to meet one of the Maremma dogs ( & learn more about the penguins) you can book a guided tour ;)

[@7-67-7]

Thank you for convincing me that dogs and little penguins deserve to inherit the earth because of how unbelievably fascinating and adorable they are together

[@terramater]

A perfect match! 🐾🐧

[@zes7215]

wrg

[@stevebennett9839]

I've known dogs guard sheep and other livestock from predators but never imagined they would b protecting tiny Lil penguins. Thank you Terra Mater for another great video.

[@terramater]

It’s a world first in conservation, so the dogs from Middle Island are true pioneers! 💫🐾

[@BiodiWerWieWas]

Thanks for watching, Steve! 🤗

[@Scrinwaipwr]

Such cute little dinosaurs. Cute doggies too. Even the foxes are cute.

[@terramater]

Fluffiness overload 🐾

[@richardjohnson5529]

what a great result for the penguins,and the Dogs are Beautiful.

[@terramater]

It really is a great success story! 💫

[@Cleeon]

Some dogs, really proves themselves as profesional guardian along human history. Ooh, I'll going to rent and watching that movie, thanks for the info

[@terramater]

Indeed! Always welcome; enjoy the film! And if you ever visit Warrnambool keep in mind that you can book a guided tour and meet one of the Maremmas. 🐾

[@robertlipka9541]

Always thought that DOG is the highest form of life on Earth 😍I want to understand one part, did the entire penguin population recover from just four survivors?

[@terramater]

No, not only from four. New ones arrived on the island. Little penguins spend most of their time out at sea. The colony recovered because the penguins which arrived on the island were now safe and sound (since the dogs arrived on the island).

[@zagrosqazy3798]

Thats not a normal human these type of humans are legends and the only reason why humanity as we know it exists and anything good .

[@terramater]

They are doing an amazing work! If you want to support The Middle Island Project follow the link in our pinned comment! 🤗

[@JohnHoodLosAngeles]

What an absolute smile of a story - thanks ever so much!

[@terramater]

Hi John! Thnak you for watching it! 🐧🐶

[@RiddleTime]

A very nice adaptation and solution!

[@terramater]

Indeed! And it‘s an inspiration for other conservation projects. 💫

[@blunzengrostl5899]

great needed some good news today! and some to see some cute doggos can never hurt :)

[@prem9501]

Amazing story. Thank you for sharing

[@terramater]

Thank you for watching!

[@GreenDolphinProject]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

[@terramater]

Thanks for watching! 🤗

[@BiodiWerWieWas]

Thanks for watching! 🤗

[@mysubjectbiology3585]

Very good natural idea to conserve a species.

[@terramater]

Indeed!

[@BiodiWerWieWas]

True that! 💫

[@sassa82]

This is a really interesting video! So cute.

[@terramater]

Glad you think so, thanks! 🤗

[@narayanaraoindla6643]

God bless you & little penguins in the island& and the dogs who r taking care of them. Exlent presentation

[@terramater]

It's really an amazing job!! 🙌

[@igorbukovy4313]

Great!

[@terramater]

It really is!

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

I am moved by these dogs. Most remarkable.

[@terramater]

They are the best! ❤️🐶

[@richardlilley6274]

Beautiful that man has some good ideas that benefit nature

[@terramater]

Hi Richard! Totally! And super inspiring, right?

[@richardlilley6274]

@@terramater yeah man helping others Rather than helping himself... That's the way to turn things around

[@Voevoden]

You forgot one very important point ... How do we help this movement? I like Foxes too though ;P

[@terramater]

Hey Vevoden! Glad that you want to help! You can find the link in the pinned comment & in the videos description. 🤗

[@sunshinecarnivores1919]

This is awesome!

[@terramater]

Right?! It's such a sweet and fascinating story!

[@doa1060]

This is so very awesome!! I love it!

[@terramater]

We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! 🐶🐧

[@kurotsuki7427]

I wonder if they could be used to incresse the penguin range

[@SonicPhonic]

Great story!

[@terramater]

Great to hear that, Michael! Thanks for watching 🐧🐶

[@DeathsGarden-oz9gg]

It looks like my baby runner ducks.

[@nicosmind3]

Good job they removed the signs before introducing the dogs. Dogs respect signs and would not want to break the law

[@terramater]

Dogs are friends of the law

[@SchnippiTheCat]

blessed be Swampy.

[@terramater]

And he shall bless you ;)

[@bedantamadhabgogoi]

Give me this job 🥺

[@terramater]

It’s a 10/10, right? 🙌🏽

[@bedantamadhabgogoi]

Yes ✋

[@danifernandez8320]

Great video! Would you happen to know if they need extra hands? 🤪

[@terramater]

Thanks for watching! 🙌

[@BiodiWerWieWas]

Hey Dani, hehe, good question! ;) Lillian told me that she would rate her job as 11/10, so it looks like it's really a dream job. Currently there are no open job positions, but you can book a guided tour and meet the maremmas in real life.😍 Just check the link in the pinned comment above.

[@federicospadetto3274]

Hii, great vid! Questions for the future. Is there any plans to expand the reach of the program? For example, could this method be applied to the rest of the colonies on the continent? And meaby even other penguin species colonies, on other parts of the world? Ps: whats the state of the invasive species? Are they managing to diminish them?

[@terramater]

Hey Federico, glad you asked! :) The Middle Island Project is a huge success and conservationists see it as an inspiration for other endangered species. The best thing is that the method is not limited to penguins, Maremma dogs could also protect other species. Talking about the numbers: the penguins are being monitored by the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network, the foxes on the island aren't monitored because there was not a single fox attack since the dogs arrived on the island. :) You can get all details in the annual report. Check out the latest one her: www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/sites/warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/files/documents/Middle%20Island%20Project%20Report%202021-2022.pdf

[@jdmac44]

So, were other little penguins brought over from New Zealand to help ensure greater genetic diversity?

[@erikaerika7788]

❤❤❤❤❤❤😊

[@Attila8489]

Why do we humans only start acting when it's already almost too late? I mean only 4 out of 800 penguins survived when someone finally start to do something. And wouldn't there be genetic problems when only 4 individuals left to reproduce?

[@killerqueenisbestmanneko8419]

There are populations on other islands. For example in NZ

[@charmh.422]

Did I miss it? Do you guys know the name of the movie made thats based on this story? Thanks in advance.

[@terramater]

It is called "Oddball". We’ve linked the trailer in our videos description. Check it out, it’s really cool!

[@blostin]

Wow

[@terramater]

The dogs are doing an amazing job, right?

[@sebastianwrites]

Couldn't they make this an island again?

[@terramater]

Hi Sebastian! The island is still there :)

[@shaunaleessnackidies]

Hard to understand but great story! ❤

[@terramater]

Hi Shauna, thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching it!

[@user-zk5lh3lk3g]

Cold warrior 14 اترك الفيديو أدناه:

[@worldthing-ly4ev]

Weak jet 55

[@valevisa8429]

Well,if the dogs are gone,they will perish again.

[@terramater]

That´s exactly why they are always training new pups to become guards.🐧 🦮

[@huesos_tvarr]

Cruel jet 29

[@craigcontofalsky4387]

I used to like foxes. Now, not so much.

[@terramater]

Hi Craig, we understand you, but they are still pretty cool, they just need to leave the little penguins alone 😄

[@Holbytatown]

foxes gonna fox🤷 It's, as usual, our (human's) fault for introducing an alien specie in a fragile environment. We call ourselves smart but we have proved times and times over that we are severely lacking in foresight...😔

[@mostlyorchids]

Cute video! But Paw Patrol is copaganda 😭

[@Ichi.Capeta]

"white knights" that is extremely adorable!!! >.

[@terramater]

But they truly are 🥰🦮🐧

[@SnoopyDoofie]

And then the dogs started acquiring a taste for little penguins. Foxes wanted back in.

[@terramater]

Imagine that, what a tragedy. 😅 The feel good movie would become def a horror movie. Or an epic battle between dogs and foxes. Or a zombie movie with zombie penguins. 🐧🧟‍♀️

[@Prosto_bs]

Kind beaver 36

[@MantisShrimp80]

Australia really sucks at conservation, it is only through the dedication of one great guy and sheer luck that this came through.

[@thisismetoday]

Not liking the nesting boxes. They are wild animals. Can we just let them do their thing please. We don’t need to house them. They are entirely capable of living without human interference if we didn’t bring pests in. Now that’s taken care off, just step back and let them be wild animals. Humans have this ridiculous drive to control everything.

[@petermurdoch7540]

They were called Fairy penguins but they lgbt community apparently were offered by this.

[@marcellomichenzi3766]

Maremma or "pastore maremmano abruzzese" in italian, is a central italy breed, not northern

[@terramater]

As you’ve said the breed is indigenous to Central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio. Still you can find the breed also in some of the northern areas.

[@marcellomichenzi3766]

@@terramater what you Say Is not correct, the breed Is indigenous of the region of Abruzzo, not Tuscany, despite the name "maremmano" can suggest

[@terramater]

@@marcellomichenzi3766 "[...] indigenous to Central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio, and to some northern areas of Southern Italy, particularly to Abruzzo... that's why they are called Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog". Feel free to double check it here: web.archive.org/web/20160825233508/www.cpma.it/lavoro.php?a1=2

[@liminalghost]

Somehow I missed this video earlier. I’m so happy some good news about birds has happened! Many birds here in Korea are either endangered or extinct and it’s exhausting hearing about the sad news. I could cry with happy tears that at least one animal was brought back from the brink with a good solution. 🥹 thank you for amazing coverage

[@terramater]

Hi Norja! Thank you for sharing your story with us and for watching our video! ❤️🐶