Aussie Ark has conducted the annual release of Tasmanian devils with five sexually mature adults of mixed gender being released into the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary.
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The release was part of the breeding and re-wilding program to bolster the existing population of this species, which is extinct on mainland Australia.
Aussie Ark managing director Liz Gabriel was thrilled with the release. Only this year the organisation celebrated the 500th Devil joey born, and Ms Gabriel reflected back on the many highlights of the program leading to this year's event.
"The Tasmanian Devil is now only found in the wild in Tasmania where it was decimated by the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease," Ms Gabriel said.
"Aussie Ark - formerly Devil Ark - was first established in 2011 to help save the species from imminent extinction.
"In October 2020 we did our inaugural release into the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, it was the first time in thousands of years that the Tasmanian Devil had set foot on mainland Australia.
"We made history then and we haven't looked back."
Making this original release even more special was the participation of A-lister actors Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky who helped release these historic Devils.
Like their predecessors the Devils released this month will live in the 400-hectare Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, free of feral predation and countless other challenges impacting their wild counterparts in Tasmania.
The release was attended by many visitors, donors and sponsors including Mayor of Singleton Council Sue Moore, and business manager of Hunter First and Partnerships, Alex Brennan.
Both were visibly moved by witnessing the event, with mayor Moore admitting she had "never seen anything like this."
To help Aussie Ark continue this globally significant work saving the Tasmanian Devil from extinction please donate now at aussieark.org.au.
