Devils@Cradle welcome baby Tasmanian devils

A wildlife park is welcoming the pitter patter of tiny Tassie devil feet as new litters begin to emerge, but breeding numbers are down on previous season. FIND OUT WHY >>

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THERE have been some tiny new arrivals at wildlife park Devils@Cradle, with eight baby Tasmanian devils born this season.

Managing director Wade Anthony said there had been several litters born over the past few months.

“Our first litter was in March, the second was in April and we’ve got a couple of litters in late June,” Mr Anthony said.

“We’re seeing signs of them out of the pouch but it’ll be a few months before we actually see them on the ground.

“Typically it’s spring time when we see them running around.”

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Posted by Devils at Cradle on Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Mr Anthony said the wildlife park would usually breed more devils, but this year chose to reduce numbers.

“We’ve reduced the breeding numbers due to Covid,” Mr Anthony said.

“Essentially, we’re part of the national insurance population so we’re often moving devils interstate and even overseas as part of the ambassador program.”

Mr Anthony said insurance populations were set up for Tasmanian devils 15 years ago to ensure the species’ best chances as numbers were affected by the facial tumour disease.

“There’s 20-odd facilities around Australia that hold Tasmanian devils,” Mr Anthony said.

“Typically we breed six pairs or six females but this year it’s been pulled back to four so we can manage our own population.

“Last year we’ve had probably twice as many, around 15 to 18 young.

“We don’t want to overbreed. We’d probably run out of space here in the facility – it’s an annual process we have by moving animals out therefore allowing space for more.”

The Devils@Cradle facility has bred fewer Tasmanian devils this year. Picture: Supplied

Mr Anthony said travel restrictions would also make it difficult to send devils away and that it might be a long time before the park returned to breeding as many devils as it had in the past.

He said the need for as many devil insurance populations was being reviewed.

“In recent years because the wild population does not appear to be heading towards extinction, the insurance population will probably pull back a bit, we probably don’t need to breed as many,” he said.

“It’s a little bit unsure, the Save the Tasmanian devil Program is doing a review of the insurance population and whether that remains at current levels or whether that pulls back a bit.”