Tasmanian devils have been born in the wild (in Mainland Australia) for the first time in over 3,000 years. The seven newborns now raise hopes for endangered animals to sustain a new breeding population. Read to know more about how it was made possible.
What kind of animal is a Tasmanian Devil?
The Tasmanian devil is the world’s largest marsupials. They are terrestrial mammals that can be found in grasslands, forests, and shrublands of the temperate region. Even if you’ve not seen one in real life, you probably remember Taz from Looney Toons. The fierce character was introduced in 2008 when Tasmanian devils were listed as endangered.
Are you wondering what marsupials are? Marsupials are a type of mammal that is underdeveloped when born. Due to this, they are carried and suckled in the mother’s belly pouch, just like kangaroos.
Once common in mainland Australia, they were wiped out by dingoes, a wild dog species. Since then, Tasmanian devils are confined to the island of Tasmania. However, their numbers have been decreasing due to a facial tumor disease. Other threats include hunting and an increase in invasive species. At present, they are classified as an endangered species and less than 25,000 can be found in the wild.
More on the newborn Tasmanian devils
The seven joeys that were born in the wild are in good health. Their health and growth are monitored by rangers of the Aussie Ark Conservation group. They are the children of 11 adult Tasmanian devils who were released back to the wild in late 2020 into the 400 hectare Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. The park previously had 15 other Tasmanian devils which were released during a previous trial.
“There is so much at stake here. We’ve done everything we can, but if the Devils don’t breed, it’s all over,” said Time Faulkner, the president of the conservation group. They released a video on Instagram to share the good news. After all, this is a very special birthday for wildlife restoration and the planet.
