In a picturesque Australian spur, Middle Island located off the southern coast of Victoria, there is the colony of the smallest penguins in the world, their weight reaches just one kilogram.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThere are stories that are tender even just thinking about them but if those same stories turn into reality, it becomes even more extraordinary. On a picturesque Australian outcrop, the Middle Island located off the south coast of Victoria is the colony of smallest penguins in the world, in fact, their weight reaches just one kilogram.
In the past, the colony was made up of more than a thousand of these birds but since 2000, they have slowly started to disappear due to the increase in foxes. At low tide, predators have pushed further and further towards the Middle Island by raiding the little penguins.
We got to the point that from beyond 800 penguins we could only find four. Once it happened that within two nights we found over 360 birds killed. The colony was really exhausted and another attack by the foxes meant saying goodbye forever to these lovely animals, he says Peter Abbott del Preservation Penguin Project.
To save the situation, in 2006, the brilliant idea of Alan Marsh, a chicken farmer ecologist who suggests using i Maremma shepherds which usually protect chicken coops and sheepfolds from foxes, even for penguins.
A proposal that at the beginning only creates hilarity in the city council of Warmbol, but as the old saying goes: he who laughs last laughs well. The stubborn Marsh decides to go his own way and trains his dog Oddball.
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After a certain period, the Maremma Shepherd is sent to the island and the experiment is so successful that in a short time Oddball is joined by other dogs who today form the team of "Saviors of the penguins".
We immediately saw a change. Bringing the Maremma shepherds saved the penguins and drove them away forever foxes, he says Abbott.
This splendid story turned into “Oddball”, a film released in September, which is becoming popular in Australia precisely because it tells how the Maremma people saved the colony of penguins. A story a happy ending which proves once again how wonderful dogs are.
Dominella Trunfio
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