Australia's Mainland Celebrates the First Wild Birth of Tasmanian Devils in 3,000 Years
| LAST UPDATE 10/17/2021
Last year, organizations Aussie Ark and Re:wild aided in bringing 26 adult Tasmanian Devils to the mainland of Australia. The animals soon adjusted to their new home, a 400-acre wildlife sanctuary in north Sydney. Now, for the first time in 3,000 years, the critters have followed nature's path and welcomed babies!
Seven little Tasmanian Devils called "joeys" now roam around the sanctuary, and Aussie Ark president Tim Faulkner couldn't be happier. "We have been working tirelessly for the better part of 10 years to return devils to the wild of mainland Australia with the hope that they would establish a sustainable population," he said.
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Faulkner continued, "Once they were back in the wild, it was up to them, which was nerve-wracking. We had been watching them from afar until it was time to step in and confirm the birth of our first wild joeys. And what a moment it was!" With a sigh of relief, the rangers who monitored the babies said they are all in perfect health.
Even more incredible is that these seven joeys can now aid in the survival of their own endangered species. Since cancer washed out nearly 90% of these animals in the wild throughout the years, it is widely believed that less than 25,000 Tasmanian Devils are still alive today.
Re:wild and Aussie Ark plan to bring more Tassie Devils to Australia's mainland over the next two years, with plans to release them into the wild when they mature enough. The groups hope that due to "This reintroduction...someday we will see Tasmanian Devils living throughout the great eastern forests as they did 3,000 years ago." Don Church, president of Global Wildlife Conservation, praised the staff for their hard work.
Church stated that without their help, "Instead of looking forward to the recovery of the species, we would be watching the devil slip into extinction... This is an incredible example of how to rewild our planet, bringing back the natural systems to the benefit of all life on Earth." Thus, the movement has been matched with the hashtag #Devilcomeback. This trending idea is how we can stay in the loop with the foundational momentum behind the revival of this species.
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