JAKARTA - Seven baby Tasmanian devils, known as Joey, were born in the 988-acre Barrington Wildlife Refuge in New South Wales, Australian NGO Aussie Ark said in an Instagram post on Monday this week.
The Tasmanian devil became extinct on the mainland after the arrival of the dingo, a wild dog species, and was confined to the island of Tasmania. However, Devil's Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is the cause of the decline in this animal population by up to 90 percent since it was rediscovered in 1996.
Last September, the Aussie Ark introduced the 11 creatures back into the wild on mainland Australia, following an earlier experiment involving 15 marsupials, bringing the total Tasmanian Devil on land to 26.
And now, just a few months after their release, the creatures have managed to reproduce. Conservationists have identified a tiny marsupial, which they say is about the size of a peanut, in its mother's pouch.
Female Tasmanian devils give birth to between 20 and 40 joeys at a time, according to Tourism Australia. The joeys race towards the mother's pouch, which has only four nipples. Those who make it to the enclave continue to stay there for about three months.
"We have worked tirelessly for 10 years to return the Tasmanian Devil to the wild on mainland Australia, in the hope that they will establish a sustainable population. Once they return, it is up to them," the Aussie Ark said in a statement Monday, May 26, as reported by CNN.
"We've been watching them from afar until it's time to step in and confirm the birth of our first wild joey. And what an incredible moment it was!" continued the statement.
The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial and a native apex predator. This means that their reintroduction will help control populations of feral cats and foxes that hunt other endangered species. Tasmanian devils are also scavengers, which helps keep their environment free of disease.
Currently, the population of the Tasmanian Devil in the wild on his home island, according to Aussie Park, is only 25,000 individuals.
"We have historically, although in our infancy, returned the Tasmanian Devil to the mainland, and today is another milestone entirely," Tim Faulkner, president of the Aussie Ark, said in a video posted on Instagram.
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