In Australia, some Tasmanian Devils have been released into the forests thanks to a long and delicate conservation program.
They finally return to the wild for the first time in 3 years: here, in a wildlife sanctuary in New South Wales, Australia, some Tasmanian devils have been released into the forests after a long and delicate conservation program. A historical step that brings them, we hope definitively, back to their natural habitat.
These iconic marsupials disappeared from most of Australia around 3 ago. But now, thanks to a stubborn effort of reintroduction, 26 of these tiny, endangered creatures are back. No larger than a pooch, these marsupials are famous for their ferocity and powerful jaws, capable of shredding large carcasses to shattering in minutes.
The Tasmanian devil who discovers the snow (PHOTO AND VIDEO)
In the 90s, the species was struck by infectious and deadly mouth cancer, causing its only remaining wild population in the Australian island state of Tasmania to drop to just 25.
It is not known why the species disappeared from Australia millennia ago, but it is not difficult to imagine that one of the causes is human action: when the first hunters killed most of the continent's megafauna, the devils no longer had nothing to eat.
Yet, since they are real scavengers, devils play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem, which is why scientists have tried so hard to bring them back.
©Phys
“We have been working for over a decade to get to this point,” says Tim Faulkner, president of AussieArk, a species recovery organization. The group works closely with nonprofits Global Wildlife Conservation and WildArk to make it possible to release captive-bred animals in an enclosed area, the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, just north of Barrington Tops National Park in eastern Australia.
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Despite their appalling reputation, they "pose no threat to humans or agriculture," adds Faulkner. The Aussie Ark bred the devil's cubs and plans to release another 20 next year, and another 20 the following year.
A truly historic moment that, we hope, will help rebalance a seriously damaged ecosystem.
Fonti: AussieArk / Phys.org / National Geographic
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