28 December 2012
Three Tasmanian devils could be housed at a Darlington Point zoo as early as April next year.
The Altina Wildlife Park has been accepted into the national Tasmanian Devil Conservation Program and will soon take ownership of a male and two female devils from Australia Zoo in Queensland.
There is estimated to be less than 15,000 devils left in the wild, and a facial cancer is also affecting numbers.
Altina Managing Director Gino Altin says a $50,000, 200 square metre enclosure has to be built and new staff will be hired to help care for the animals.
"For the first year or so, we're just going to take surplus animals, to give them enough room, they can continue to breed in the major facilities," he said.
"And then later on, as our enclosures are quite large, we'll probably take juveniles and grown them out until they're ready to go to a new institution for breeding."
Mr Altin says he hopes the zoo will eventually be able to run its own Tasmanian Devil breeding program.
Preparations have already begun at the Darlington Point zoo, for the arrival of the devils.
Mr Altin says the devils can live successfully on the mainland.
"We have put into action a few ponds they can bathe in and some overhead sprays, that in extreme days, they can cool off under the sprays," he said.
"There's also packs of ice, you can put in their dens and burrows to keep them and they lay against the pack of ice.
"They used to be on the mainland about 400 years ago, so they haven't been gone from Australia that long."
20 May 2013
One of Australia's most endangered species now has a presence in the Riverina.
Three Tasmanian Devils recently arrived at the Altina Wildlife Park at Darlington Point.
Apollo and two female Devils - Indie and Narahi are expected to go on public display early next week.
Altina Park senior animal keeper Rebecca Surian says the Park has spent months preparing for their arrival including a purpose built enclosure to meet their needs, including the ability to be on the look out.
"So we have to build up mounds and have lots of trees and have lots of things they can climb up and feel like they can look around for predators, see their surroundings and see other tassie devils or even birds," said Ms Surian.
"Otherwise they get quite stressed and pace up and down the fence line."
Rebecca Surian says the endangered Devils have their own purpose built enclosure were very vocal when they arrived.
"You could hear them talking to each other through the boxes, because they were in separate boxes each for their own safety."
"But when they arrived they came out the boxes quite willingly they were very interested in checking out their new home."
Ms Surian says it's hoped the new arrivals will be part of the Park's breeding program.
The Tasmanian Devil population is cut in half each year by a fatal condition known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
"We've got one male and two females, so hopefully future breeding will be an aim for us," said Ms Surian.
"We're also meant to be getting another breeding pair quite soon so breeding is definitely on the cards."
All these Devils that are in the various zoos and Parks nowadays- can they be protected somehow from the facial tumor Disease, or can it affect them and their offspring too?