The Penguin Foundation Supported by Royal Canin

Penguin Foundation Conservation Dogs: Protecting Wildlife on Milawul (Phillip Island)

 

The Penguin Foundation, in partnership with Phillip Island Nature Parks, is dedicated to protecting wildlife and habitat on Phillip Island (Milawul), home to the world’s largest little penguin colony. Through habitat restoration, community partnerships, and predator management, we are creating a safe environment for wildlife to thrive.

Conservation dogs play an essential role in these efforts by helping to detect predators such as foxes and feral cats, which pose a significant threat to native wildlife. Using their exceptional sense of smell, these specially trained dogs can locate scats and fresh scent trails, allowing the team to respond swiftly to incursions and reduce risks to wildlife.

 

Foxes and feral cats collectively kill more than 2.6 billion native mammals, birds, and reptiles each year in Australia. Phillip Island (Milawul) was declared fox-free in 2017 with minimal incursion since. This significant milestone supports the recovery and reintroduction of native species, including the Eastern barred bandicoot and bush stone-curlew, as part of the Island Haven program Removing the threat of foxes remains a priority with ongoing measures in place including a fox control buffer zone on the mainland to reduce the risk of reinvasion, maintaining Foxcam on the Phillip Island bridge and encouraging the community to report fox sightings. Feral cats continue to threaten native wildlife, including migratory shorebirds, hooded plovers, and fairy terns, making their management critical. On average, our Conservation dogs and their handlers walk between 50-60 km each week, searching priority sites for signs of predators. This targeted monitoring supports the wellbeing of local wildlife while complementing other conservation projects across the island, such as revegetation efforts and threatened species monitoring.

 

 

 

The Nature Parks has deployed Conservation dogs for over a decade to detect foxes. In recent years, the program has expanded, with two dogs now trained to detect feral cats across priority wildlife habitats. By locating evidence of feral cats, the dogs enable the team to implement targeted control measures, providing safer habitats for vulnerable species.

 

To build on this success, a Conservation Dog Handler Traineeship is being introduced to expand the capacity of the program. The traineeship combines a Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training with mentorship from the Senior Vertebrate Pest Officer at the Nature Parks, who brings over 40 years of expertise in dog training and handling. This will ensure the program continues to deliver impactful outcomes while nurturing skilled conservation professionals for the future.

 

 

The Conservation dog program is supported by Royal Canin, providing premium nutrition for the Conservation and farm dogs, ensuring they are healthy, strong, and ready for the important work they undertake in field each day.

 

The Conservation dogs program contributes to more effective monitoring and management of foxes and feral cats, helping protect little penguins, Eastern barred bandicoots, hooded plovers, bush stone-curlews, and fairy terns, while maintaining the island’s ecological balance for future generations. To learn more about how Conservation dogs are protecting wildlife on Phillip Island (Milawul), visit penguinfoundation.org.au.