On Middle Island off the coast of Victoria in Australia, a group of Maremma dogs are treasured above all else. Why? Because these very good boys and girls help protect the unique Little Penguin colony of the island.
The Middle Island Maremma Project began in 2006 when there was a sharp drop in the number of Little Penguins, due to an increase in the number of foxes crossing over to the island because of the changing coastal environment.
The idea for the project came from a local farmer named Swampy Marsh, who had trained his own sheepdogs to protect his chickens. Using the same principles, the team trained Maremma dogs to guard the penguins and protect them from predators. At the same time, the island became closed-off to visitors, to protect penguin burrows from human trampling.
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The Maremma guardian dogs, including lead guardian dog Mezzo, spend their days on Middle Island during the penguin-breeding season. Retired guardians and Maremma Ambassador Dogs spend their days in the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool.
The world-first project has been a huge success, with Little Penguin colony numbers rapidly increasing. These fluffball penguin custodians gained international fame as word of their efforts spread, most notably when they become the subject of the 2015 film Oddball.
Now, the conservation project is allowing visitors to come check it out. In 2021, Contiki travellers on our new Great Ocean Road Trip will have the chance to travel to Flagstaff Hill and find out all about these hard-working dogs with jobs on a Contiki Cares experience.
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Contiki Operations Manager Matt Cramer had the chance to visit with the Middle Island Maremma Project team earlier this year at Flagstaff Hill, ahead of the launch of our epic new trip.
“You’ll meet a local guide, who will take you through the conservation project and learn about the penguins,” he says. “Then you get to go meet the Maremma Ambassador Dogs and take photos with them!”
“Of course, meeting the dogs is the most exciting part, but, as a local, it’s also interesting to learn about the story behind it. It’s a funny, great and very Australian story.”
The best part? The funds made from your included visit to the project go directly back into the continued care of the Middle Island Maremma Dogs.
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Want to visit Flagstaff Hill and get to know these incredible dogs? Check out the Great Ocean Road Trip.
