Species protection organization Aussie Ark reported Tuesday that 26 animals brought from Tasmania to the mainland just under a year ago had a total of seven young animals in the Barrington Tops Preserve north of Sydney.
An endangered species
Tasmanian devils, a species of marsupials weighing up to eight kilograms, disappeared from mainland Australia about 3,000 years ago. Dingoes, Australian wild dogs, are responsible for their extinction. The animals only survived on the offshore island of Tasmania. Since the emergence of an infectious type of facial tumor in the mid-1990s, its population has also decreased from about 150,000 to 25,000, and the species is considered threatened.
Offspring are in excellent health
So conservation advocates are trying to bring the animals back to the mainland. After transporting the first samples to Barrington Tops Preserve, assistants could wait remotely only to see what would happen. Now the guards have examined the female bags and found seven children “in excellent health,” reported Aussie Ark.
“Historic” resettlement program
Conservationists classify the Tasmanian Devil’s resettlement program as “historic,” similar to the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the US in the 1990s. Tasmanian devils are famous for their extremely loud voice, powerful jaws, and stubborn wars. Black-brown marsupials are carnivores, but generally not dangerous to humans.
Aussie Ark plans to settle more Tasmanian demons in the reserve in the coming years, which have been fenced off to ward off voracious enemies and protect from traffic. The cysts of the sacs, nasal vesicles and petiolar kangaroos are also planned to be settled.
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