Wild Tasmanian devil joeys were just born on the Australian mainland for the first time in 3,000 years!

 

Late last year, 26 adult Tassie devils were released into a predator-free sanctuary in NSW’s Barrington Tops National Park, in the hopes of reintroducing the unique mammal to the mainland. 

And now, one of the devils has just given birth to the first seven wild-born joeys back on the mainland in 3,000 years. Amazing! 

 

Teeny tiny bebe | Photo thanks to Aussie Ark

 

Of the 26 devils released, seven are reproductive females so there are hopes that up to 20 joeys will be born this year. 

It’s all thanks to the tireless efforts of Aussie Ark, who have been on a mission to bring the Tassie devil back to the mainland for the last ten years!

Tassie devils used to roam much of mainland Australia, but when larger predatory mammals were introduced, notably the dingo, and the devil began to be hunted by people too, the population diminished, leaving Tasmania as the only safe haven for them. 

But since the 1990s, the Tassie population has been affected by a contagious and deadly mouth cancer (devil face tumour disease) that’s severely diminished the population, making this healthy group of devils on the mainland SUPER DUPER precious.

Watch Aussie Ark President, Tim Faulkner, ecstatically introduce these little baby joeys to you.  

 

 

Feature photo by @davidclode