Devils have cuddly side
They may have a fierce name but the Tasmanian devil can be more akin to “a puppy on steroids” then a vicious predator. “As a species they are lot more timid and shy than the anti-social animals that will tear you limb from limb most people think they are,” Kelly Davis said.
THEY may have a fierce name but the Tasmanian devil can be more akin to “a puppy on steroids” then a vicious predator.
“As a species they are lot more timid and shy than the anti-social animals that will tear you limb from limb most people think they are,” Devil Ark supervisor Kelly Davis said.
“If you came across one in the wild they would be more likely to run away but the few we raise by hand don’t have that fear of humans.”
Kelly is part of a project that could be the key to the survival of one Australia’s most iconic mammals as a contagious facial tumour dis- ease continues to devastate the wild population.
Devil Ark, in the NSW Hunter Valley, holds a disease-free colony with a population of 180-200 Tassie devils.
“The future at this time is a little bleak for the devil and we may need over 1000 devils to keep it alive,” Devil Ark president Tim Faulkner said.
The organisation is seeking donations to continue its work. Visit devilark.org.au.