Photo: Courtesy Aussie Ark
Nature is being restored!
Seven Tasmanian devil joeys were born in the wild in Australia for the first time in more than 3,000 years. This exciting news comes afterAussie Arkreleased 26 of the marsupials into a protected wilderness area in mainland Australia, in partnership withRe:wildandWildArk. The organization picked the Tasmanian devils to release based on which were the “most suitable to breed with one another without any inbreeding,” according to a release fromGlobal Wildlife Conservation.
Chris Hemsworthand his wife, fellow actorElsa Pataky,helped release 11 of those Tasmanian devilswith Aussie Ark.
“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,” Tim Faulkner, president of Aussie Ark, said in a statement.
Courtesy WildArk
Tasmanian Devil.Aussie Ark
Faulkner added, “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!”
Now that Aussie Ark knows there are seven joeys, they will monitor the babies during follow-up pouch checks. All of the new arrivals are currently all in great health.
“The fact that the adults have adapted so quickly is remarkable, and the joeys are one of the most tangible signs that the reintroduction of Tasmanian devils is working,” Don Church, president of Re:wild, said in a statement.
Tasmanian Devils.Aussie Ark
The animals are important to Australia because they “help control feral cats and foxes that threaten other endangered and endemic species. And because they are scavengers, they help keep their home clean and free of disease,” according to Aussie Ark.
The reintroduced Tasmanian devils will continue being monitored through regular surveys, radio collars fit with transmitters, and camera traps.
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Tasmanian devils declined in population over 3,000 years ago due to the introduction of the dingo, a pack animal that pushed the Tasmanian devil out of mainland Australia.
source: people.com
