Tasmanian Devils Bred in Wild on Mainland Australia for Second Year in a Row

Tasmanian devil joeys have been born in the wild on Australia’s mainland for the second year in a row, according to a local conservation group on June 9.

Aussie Ark shared this footage showing the nine newborns, who were born on the 400-acre Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary in Tomalla, New South Wales.

According to Aussie Ark, Tasmanian devils became extinct on mainland Australia as they were outcompeted by dingoes. The dingoes never made it to the island state of Tasmania, where the devils continued to thrive.

The conservation group said that up to 19 joeys were expected to be confirmed over the weeks to follow, as part of their DevilBack campaign to “re-wild Australia.” Credit: Aussie Ark via Storyful

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KELLY DAVIS: Well, that's the first two joeys confirmed for 2022. Let's go check the rest of these traps.

TYLER GRALTON: Today, we're at Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary and we're checking out Tasmanian devils to see if they've been successful with their breeding season this year.

KELLY DAVIS: 8.25 kilos. So she's gone up a little bit. Hopefully that means joeys. We've got two joeys in here. They're about the size of a large mouse, probably 10 months old, just starting to get their fur.

TYLER GRALTON: The devil joey season is absolutely amazing to me. It's a critically endangered species that we didn't know would survive to this point. They're back in the wild and the mountaintops. And seeing them at this size, it leaves you speechless every single time.

KELLY DAVIS: So this is my sixth year doing [INAUDIBLE] checks on Tasmanian devils. But to confirm joeys in our banks and Wildlife sanctuary is just that bit extra special.

Last year was the first time we'd successfully bred devils in the wild on mainland Australia in 3,000 years. To have a second year to back that up just shows that this is a great environment for the Tasmanian devils and they really are thriving.

That's nine joeys confirmed in our Barrington wildlife sanctuary, which is just an amazing start to the season.

TYLER GRALTON: Certainly. And with up to 19 expected to be born in this sanctuary, it's a huge success for Aussie Ark, and for us here in the team, it's always thrilling to see the joeys in the pouch at this really crucial stage.

KELLY DAVIS: It's something that never gets old no matter how many times we see it, and, yeah, I don't think it ever will.