Foxes almost removed the population of the raft/waddle after finding the adorable residents on a little Australian island. One farmer that witnessed the start of the demise of the penguin population devised a simple but genius plan.
You may be asking yourself ‘how did the foxes even reach the island to start with?’. Well, it started back in 2000 when the natural current of the sea caused a build-up of sand in the region. During low tide, it formed a pathway to the little island and as there was an accessible food source the local fox population began to expand.
The world’s smallest penguins were on the edge of extinction until one nearby chicken farmer called Swampy Marsh (love it) devised a solution. He stationed one of his Maremma dogs to watch over the birds and warn away predators.
‘Oddball’ was the first of many dogs to be tasked with guarding the tiny penguins on Middle Island and his presence made a huge difference. There have been ZERO penguin murders on the island since Oddball and his friends were introduced 10 years ago.
The waddle has already increased to an estimated 200. The scientific name for these penguins is Eudyptula and the names of the current dogs guarding the island are aptly called Eudy and Tula.
They are on the island five or six days a week when it’s breeding season for the little penguins from October to March.
The story was so impactful and uplifting that it was turned into a film called Oddball.
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