After 3000 Years Of Absence Reintroduction Of Tasmanian Devils to Australia

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A group of the feisty marsupials called Tasmanian Devils are reintroduced in Barrington Tops back after thousands of years in a national park which is located about 200km to the north of Sydney.

About 3500 years ago, dingoes and wild dogs had partially wiped the population of these Tasmanian devils. But today as a result of the introduction project eleven devils roam freely in the Australian mainland.

Image Credits – ABC

According to the Ecologists, their elimination from the mainland occurred due to a severe drought resulting from a prolonged El Nino and also the indigenous human population surge was also another reason.

Image Credits – australia

The prior remaining devils were found when they were searching for refuge from the populations of dingoes. But at the moment they had been struggling with a highly infectious deathly cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor. Through fighting, biting and mating the cancer was spread all among the population.

In 2008, these creatures’ name was on the United Nations Red List as endangered species. They are the largest marsupial carnivores living in the world though they are not even large as a small dog. The Looney Tunes cartoons showcased the raucous and frenzied habits of these creatures through the character Taz, which made a huge splash around people.

Until the conditions are sustainable for survival, Tasmanian devils are bred in captivity. Also the Ecologists are on work to eliminate the dingoes from Barrington Tops as they are seemed to be a pest species.

As for the experts from Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), Aussie Ark and WildArk, other native species who are threatened by invasive predators will be helped by these devils, which is stated on the statement released by the GWC on Oct 5th.

Image Credits – metv

As per the statement, researchers are testing the released devils for the cancer which cleared their population in past. They hope that the ecosystem which is now ravaged by feral foxes and cats will be boosted by these cancer free devils.

Image Credits – theconversation

Also 20 more devils are monitored by cameras and GPS tags in a protected 404-hectare wildlife sanctuary to see the way of their adjustment to the new environment.

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