Archive · 23 Sep 2026
How Phillip Island's Little Penguins Returned From The Brink
Little penguins live on Phillip Island in Australia.
They go to sea to find food and return to land to raise their babies.
Foxes introduced to Australia began hunting the penguins on land.
One fox could kill several penguins in one night.
People worked for many years to remove the foxes and protect penguin habitat.
Scientists, rangers, volunteers, communities and government agencies all helped.
Phillip Island was declared free of foxes in 2017.
The penguin population then grew from about 12,000 to 40,000.
Their recovery shows that patient conservation work can help nature heal.
Phillip Island once had 10 little penguin colonies, but nine disappeared.
Human activity, habitat disturbance and introduced red foxes threatened the penguins.
A single fox could kill multiple penguins in one night.
Decades of trapping, surveillance and habitat restoration led to the island being declared fox-free in 2017.
The population grew from about 12,000 in the 1980s to 40,000 today.
- Who
- Little penguins, conservationists, scientists, rangers, volunteers, local communities and government agencies.
- What
- A long-term conservation program restored habitat, removed red foxes and helped the little penguin population recover.
- When
- The population was about 12,000 in the 1980s; Phillip Island was declared fox-free in 2017; it has reached about 40,000 today.
- Where
- Phillip Island, off Australia's southern coast.
- Why
- To protect penguins from introduced foxes, habitat disturbance and other pressures that threatened their colonies.
- Species
- Little penguins, the world's smallest penguins, stand about 30 centimetres tall.
- Former colonies
- Phillip Island had 10 little penguin colonies, but nine disappeared.
- Population in the 1980s
- About 12,000 little penguins.
- Current population
- About 40,000 little penguins.
- Main predator
- Introduced red foxes, which could kill multiple penguins in one night.
- Conservation methods
- Surveillance, trapping, fox control, habitat restoration and reduced human disturbance.
- Fox-free declaration
- Phillip Island was declared fox-free in 2017.