Middle Island (Warrnambool)

The island has a breeding colony of Little Penguins

Middle Island, Warnambool, Victoria (2014)

Middle Island is a small (c. 2 ha), rocky island lying close to the shore of south-western Victoria, Australia, in Stingray Bay next to the city of Warrnambool. It is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to breeding colonies of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) and short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris). It is now closed to general public access due to the low penguin population.

Maremma Project

The Maremma Project uses Maremma sheepdogs to protect the penguins from foxes

Because of the proximity of the island to the coast, it is accessible at low tide to predators such as foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and stray dogs. As a result, the penguin colony declined to a low of ten breeding pairs by 2005. In 2006 an attempt was made to protect the birds from foxes by the use of Maremma sheepdogs trained to protect penguins rather than sheep and to act as a deterrent to foxes. The dogs spend five or six days a week on the island during the breeding season from October to March.^[1] Since then the penguin population has been increasing and by 2016 had reached nearly two hundred.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Culture

A film Oddball has been made about the Penguin Preservation Project.^[1]

References

1 2 3 Donnison, Jon (14 December 2015). "The dog that protect little penguins". BBC News. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
↑ "Middle Island Maremma Project". Visit Warrnambool. visitwarrnambool.com.au. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
↑ "Middle Island Maremma Project". Warrnambool. Warrnambool City Council. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
↑ Ramzy, Austin (2015-11-03). "Australia Deploys Sheepdogs to Help a Penguin Colony Back From the Brink". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-11-05.

Islands of Victoria, Australia

Islands off Gippsland and the Wilsons Promontory	Anser Boundary Citadel Cleft Cliffy Dannevig Gabo Great Glennie Kanowna McHugh Norman Notch Rabbit Rabbit Rock Rag Seal Shellback Tullaberga Wattle Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park

Islands within Corner Inlet	Bennison Bullock Calf Clonmel Corner Cyril Dog Doughboy Drum East Scrubby Granite Horn Hunter Little Dog Little Snake Long One Tree Pelican Rescue Roberts Saint Margaret Scrubby Shag Sheep Snake Spec Sunday Corner Inlet Marine National Park

Islands within Western Port	Barrallier Chinaman Churchill Elizabeth French Joe Long Middle Spit Pelican Phillip Quail Ram Reef Seal Rocks Sandstone Schnapper Rock Tortoise Head Bank Churchill Island Marine National Park French Island Marine National Park Phillip Island Important Bird Area Phillip Island Nature Park

Islands within Port Phillip	Duck Mud Pope's Eye South Channel Fort Swan Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park

Islands within Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight	Griffiths Lady Julia Percy Lawrence Rocks Middle

River islands	Beveridge Coode Gateway Herring Pental Raymond Rotamah The Island Ulupna

Category Commons

Coordinates: 38°24′13″S 142°28′19″E / 38.40361°S 142.47194°E / -38.40361; 142.47194

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