Tasmanian Devils are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials
weighing over 25 pounds.Until recently they were only found on the island of Tasmania. But, they have now been reintroduced in the Australian mainland 3000 years after they died out. 7 baby Tasmanian devils or ‘joeys’ were born in Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary in New South Wales according to an announcement by NGO Aussie Ark on 24th May 2021.The first reason for their decline from the mainland is the ‘dingo’, a variety of wild dog introduced in Australia approximately 5000 years ago.The second reason is the Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), which has killed around 90% of the population since it was discovered in 1996. Climate change and usurping of land by humans is also said to be a major factor in driving the species out. In September 2020, Aussie Ark introduced 11 Tasmanian devils back into
the wild leading to a total of 26 after an earlier trial, which released 15.
Tasmanian Devils give birth to 30-40 joeys at once but only 3-7 survive
once they latch onto their mother’s pouch which has the space to
accommodate only 4 joeys.Their reintroduction on the mainland was essential since there are only 25,000 of them left in Tasmania. Since they are fierce predators and scavengers, they help control populations of feral cats and foxes that hunt other endangered species, in addition to keeping the environment free from diseases.

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