The Tasmanian Devil is back on the Australian mainland after almost going extinct.
The Tasmanian Devil was listed as endangered on the United Nation’s Red List back in 2008, according to an article published Monday by Reuters. Actor Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky helped released 11 of the animals back into a wildlife sanctuary, the outlet reported.
The world’s largest surviving marsupial carnivore, the Tasmanian Devil, has been returned to the wild on Australia’s mainland for the first time in 3,000 years https://t.co/yZg0h03TXv pic.twitter.com/lONsXi9cNw
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 6, 2020
The release is “the first time in 3,000 years, or thereabouts, that the Tasmanian Devil has roamed mainland forests and as an apex predator, it’s critically important,” President of Aussie Ark Tim Faulkner said, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Ghost Cougar’ Named Extinct After Disappearing 8 Decads Ago)
“This release of devils will be the first of many,” Faulkner reportedly said. “We’ve bred nearly 400 joeys, and we’re at the point now that we’re able to harvest some to return to the wild.”
The conservation group has been breeding the Tasmanian Devils and plans on releasing 20 into the wildlife sanctuary next year and then another 20 the year after that.
“We’ve laid some traps to catch the devils, and then we’re going to release them out into the wild,” Hemsworth explained.
This is wonderful news. They might not be the cutest animal, but it is so important that they don’t go extinct. Maybe one day there will be thousands of Tasmanian Devils rightfully roaming the Australian countryside.