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Can Maremma guardian dogs help save the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot from extinction?

Man’s best friend is taking a giant leap forward in helping with the ecological restoration of threatened species.

Researchers from the University of Tasmania’s School of Biological Sciences are part of a coordinated effort to help save the threatened Eastern Barred Bandicoot from extinction with the use of Maremma guardian dogs.

The five-year Guardian Dog Trail for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot program will assess whether the bandicoots, protected by specially trained Maremmas, will be able to form self-sustaining populations in areas that are not enclosed by feral proof fences.

The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is now extinct in the wild in mainland Australia as a result of habitat loss and predators, including foxes.

Lead researcher Professor Chris Johnson and his team are surveying and monitoring three sites, similar to working sheep properties, in regional Victoria where the Maremma dogs will be introduced.

There has been a lot of success before with using the guardian dogs to protect livestock, and a case where they successfully protected little penguins in another trial in Victoria.

Professor Chris Johnson.
A guardian dog stands proudly in uniform at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Image by Will Watt.

“The dogs bond to the animals they are protecting and in turn create a biological fence.

“Foxes are reluctant to enter an area where dogs are present - foxes have a biological aversion to dogs.”

The concept of using Maremmas as guardian dogs to protect livestock is not new. They are a breed of guardian dog which have been used for thousands of years.

The practice has been revived by Australian farmers in recent times as a cost-effective and humane long-term solution to protecting livestock from predators.

For this trial, we wanted to know if we created a no-go zone for foxes using Maremmas with sheep, would this make it safe for the bandicoot as well?

Professor Chris Johnson.

In the trial, the guardian dogs have been trained by handlers at Zoos Victoria, with researchers also looking at how the dogs interact with the bandicoot.

Dr Linda Van Bommel, former PhD student at the University of Tasmania, is a world-renowned expert on Maremma dogs and is working with the research team.

In the first phase, researchers will introduce the Maremmas to sheep and monitor the effect of the dogs on the wild fox population before introducing the bandicoots.

“Beyond the trial, we want to know how and why it’s working and to what extent,” Professor Johnson said.

If we can understand the process, and the way guardian dogs and foxes interact with one another in this trial, we can predict how it might work in other situations.

Dr Linda Van Bommel.

“We are hoping there is a lot of potential for ecological restoration of species that have declined under fox predation, not just bandicoots.

“There’s a whole suite of species, including birds and turtles, which could be looked at.

If we understand the how and why as to using guardian dogs, it could go a long way towards helping to protect lots of other species.

Professor Chris Johnson.

The Guardian Dog Trial for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot program is supported by Federal and Victoria governments, Zoos Victoria, Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre, Tiverton Property Partners, National Trust of Australia, Mooramong, the ARC and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team.

The research is part-funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant.

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