TASMANIAN DEVIL CONSERVATION PARK NEWS
LOTS OF LITTLE IMPS - BABY DEVILS - ARE WOWING OUR VISITORS!
- 26 September 2010
It's a great year for our breeding programme this year with three litters of precious little disease-free imps
in the park.
Our team has set up terrific management system with all our new breeding and holding areas and the result is a number of little devils running around on display plus some in the behind-the-scenes
facilities.
One of the mothers called Duchess actually is the offspring of
an old female devil that died of Devil Facial Tumour Disease which is threatening the entire devil population.
Not only does this demonstrate (pun!) the disease is not passed on from generation to generation
but it also brings new genetics into our breeding programme.
It is hard to believe that these little imps represent, along with other captive bred devils, the real future of the species!
NEW TASMANIAN DEVIL HABITATS A BRILLIANT SUCCESS
- 10 May 2010
The new Tasmanian devil habitats in the revamped Tasmanian Devil Conservation
Park are working brilliantly and the park's little devils love them.
Better still the world first design concepts of international landscape architect Jon Coe
are showing off the Tasmanian devils in ways never before imagined and the result? Visitors love them as well as they can come face to face with these unique creatures.
!
"The concensus from visiting zoo managers is that our park is now the best Tasmanian devil
exhibit anywhere," park director John Hamilton said. "Our 30 years of effort is finally paying off," he said.
There are four new large habitats that demonstrate the devil's adaptability to a number of environments.
An innovative farmyard display area shows the relationship between the animals and a
farm environment.
"The devils are actually living among hay bales and farm machinery," John Hamilton said.
"It shows how they can adapt well to farming activity while allowing
visitors a very close up look at them."
A rainforest area indicates that devils can live in wet forests as well as dry land.
The most unusual is an inside-out area where visitors now walk into in an old devil display and the animals are
in an extensive area on the outside with trees and grassland all around.
"We are aiming to tell the full story of these amazing animals, from how and when they are
born right through to where they live and what they eat," he said.
"There is much more to tale of the devil than simply saying it eats meat and lives in
the bush."
IT'S URGENT WE CREATE AN ISOLATED WILD DEVIL BREEDING SANCTUARY ON TASMAN PENINSULA,
SAYS PARK DIRECTOR,
JOHN HAMILTON
update - 8 May 2010
A special barrier to deter Tasmanian devils while allowing traffic to pass
must urgently be installed at the narrow entrance "gateway" to
Tasman Peninsula to create a disease-free Tasmanian devil sanctuary, according
to Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park director, John Hamilton.
"Recent surveys have found there is still a small population of healthy devils on our Tasman Peninsula region in the South East
however the fatal devil cancer is right on our doorstep on neighbouring Forestier Peninsula," John Hamilton said.
"As the peninsula is still disease-free and it makes sense to
quickly put up a barrier across the narrow Eaglehawk Neck isthmus that links the peninsula with the
rest of Tasmania.
"This is probably the best chance we have of saving the species," he said.
John Hamilton said he had done a research trial in conjunction with the University of Tasmania
and discovered a modified cattle grid design that with only 100 metres of wing fences was a good bet
to preventing diseased animals from entering the area.
The perfect place was along an old "dog-line" that was established in the 1800s to prevent convicts escaping from Port Arthur gaol.
While there was only a small wild devil population on the Peninsula creating a sanctuary would
be ideal for introducing healthy devils that could breed naturally and build up in numbers, he said.
Mr Hamilton said Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park would be prepared to sponsor the project
and maintain the barrier depending on cost.
"It is an ideal project for this park that will allow other precious Save the Tasmanian Devil funds to be channelled
into research," he said.
NEW 21st CENTURY WILDLIFE TOURS AND
VOLUNTOURISM PROGRAMMES
- 23 April 2009
New conservation voluntourism programmes, new "behind the scenes" wildlife tours and
interpretation in seven languages are the key parts of a radical makeover at Tasmanian Devil
Conservation Park.
The master plan for the project, by leading international zoo architect, Jon Coe,
includes putting visitors inside old animal enclosures and involving visitors in
the park’s day to day conservation work.
"We are aiming to be a yardstick for 21st century wildlife centres while at
the same time playing a major role in saving the endangered Tasmanian devil," said park
founder / director, John Hamilton.
"Our innovative multilingual interpretation will take visitors deeply into the world
of the devil while also addressing cutting edge conservation."
Jon Coe's 100 other projects around the world include the Desert Park in the Northern
Territory, a new panda project in China and a superzoo in the Middle East.
See www.joncoedesign.com
FITs and small groups products range from half day guided tours to multi-day
voluntourism programmes that include feeding and working with Tasmanian devils
and other native animals.
Large groups are offered one to two hour visits.
The park is open daily at Taranna near Port Arthur about one hour from Hobart.
www.tasmaniandevilpark.com
[email protected]
John Hamilton - +61 408 641 642
PARK VISITOR NUMBERS DEFY ECONOMIC TRENDS
AS RE-DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES
- 6 March 2009
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park is proving more popular than ever while the major re-development of the park continues.
"We were hoping to welcome around the same number of people this year at a time when some parts of the
Australian tourism industry unfortunately are down however we are enjoying a surprising increase in the
number of visitors," John Hamilton, the park director, said.
"This is particularly pleasing as we have not yet finished our major new
developments with a number of new devil habitats and exciting new ways of telling our story.
"We now hope to finish the project in May," he said.
PARK SETS UP A TEAM OF ZOOLOGISTS TO LEAD THE WAY FORWARD
- 1 March 2009
A major shift towards wildlife research with a new team of zoologists will set up the
future of Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.
The park has recently appointed three zoology graduates, one full time and two part time, to
forge a new direction
in wildlife breeding, management and research and the ways in which this story can be told
to visitors.
The new team will be funded by visitor entrance contributions.
30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED TODAY WITH OPENING OF NEW ENTRANCE
WALKWAY AND START OF PARROT CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
- 1 October 2008
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park is today celebrating its 30th anniversary with the opening
of a new entrance walkway and the installation of 20 nest breeding boxes for the
endangered swift parrot.
The developments are part of a revolutionary new rebuild of the park which
will see visitors being put inside old animal enclosures and the animals in
large habitats on the outside, innovative digital interpretation and more than
20 presentations and guided tours each day.
The new concepts are part of a master plan by leading international landscape
and zoo arhictect, Jon Coe.
When construction of the original park started at Taranna on Tasman Peninsula on
1 October 1979 the park was the world's first Tasmanian devil centre.
It has been successful in breeding Tasmanian devils in most years since
and presently is the only devil disease-free wildlife park in an isolated
disease-free region.
During its 30 year life the park has hosted more than a million visitors including
the King of Tonga, the Crown Prince of Thailand, the President of Ireland, former PM
Gough Whitlam, ambassadors and TV crews by the score, media identities John Laws
and Philip Adams and a host of movie personalities.
"The tourism industry has changed a huge amount in three decades,"
park director John Hamilton said.
"I recall having a leaflet printed and being told by a rental car company
- Oh, you have your own brochure. That's a good idea!"
The new park displays and 6 language interpretation will be progressively opened
throughout late 2008.
EXCITING NEW POSITIONS AVAILABLE WITH THE CONSERVATION PARK TEAM
- 28 September 2008
A number of interesting new positions are being offered at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation
Park site on Tasman Peninsula, about an hour SE of Hobart.
The park is being rebuilt into an exciting world-first 21st century wildlife experience
under a visionary master plan by leading international landscape architect Jon Coe.
Coe's innovative concepts for the park include putting visitors in enclosures and
having animals roaming freely.
The new positions are for a Keeper / Park Ranger, a new Cafe Host and
a Park Receptionist.
The Keeper / Ranger job will have a key focus on engaging with visitors and developing
world class wildlife presentations.
A zoology degree or similar will be an advantage.
"We require a number of motivated people to help us make this project an outstanding success
," park director, John Hamilton, said.
"Essentially we are looking for applicants who enjoy meeting with people from all corners of
the globe, who have a forward thinking outlook and who are prepared to work as part of a
team towards the development and the success of an innovative small business."
"Computer skills, prior tourism industry experience, a first aid certificate, multi-lingual skills
also will be an advantage," he said.
Position applications, on one page only, will be received
until COB 10 October 2008.
The park's new exhibits will be opened progressively throughout late 2008.
NEW DEVIL AND QUOLL
BREEDING PROGRAMMES A SUCCESS
- 16 September 2008
The 2008 breeding programmes for our disease-free Tasmanian devils and also Eastern quolls,
the devil's first cousins, have been a great success.
In a significant break-through an orphaned female called Duchess, whose mother died of
Devil Facial Tumour Disease, has a litter of four "imps", as young devils are known.
This has proved that the progeny of disease-affected devils are able to breed successfully
which is a great omen for future disease-free breeding efforts.
.
Duchess was one of two orphans retained in the park's satellite quarantine facility
as part of the Tasman Founder project.
In another breeding programme a female in the main park area also has a litter.
These young ones shall be on display in November.
The park's success has continued with the Eastern quoll project where a female is successfully
raising a full litter of six little ones.
This is the park's first attempt at breeding quolls in many years.
Like devils, Eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverinnus), which also are carnivorous marsupials, are now found only on the
island of Tasmania.
THREATENED WILD SWIFT PARROTS
IN PARK NEST BOX BREEDING TRIAL
- 15 September 2008
A large number of threatened swift parrots (Lathamus discolor), which are flocking to a revegetated forest area
at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, are to be part of a first-time Spring breeding trial using nest boxes
developed at Latrobe University in Victoria.
The small green and orange nectar-feeding birds have been attracted to feed on the blossom
of black gums (Eucalyptus ovata) that have been allowed to grow back naturally in an old hay paddock on part of the park property.
This is just the second year the swifts have been visitors to the park.
The project, which will be part of a collaborative effort that, it is hoped, also will involve
the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Unit, will be the first time specially placed nest
boxes will be monitored for breeding success.
Swift parrots breed only in Tasmania after over-wintering on the Australian mainland.
NEW CONSERVATION VISION FOR 2008/09
- 7 July 2008
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park has announced an innovative new conservation
strategy for Tasman Peninsula as part of its vision for wildlife tourism for the region.
The 2008-09 projects are planned to coincide with the opening of the extensive new-look
park being developed under the master plan of leading international zoo architect,
Jon Coe.
The vision aims to:
1. Develop a strategy for making Tasman Peninsula the number one disease-free
sanctuary for a significant wild devil population..
The isolated peninsula, which so far has no fatal Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour
Disease,
is located in South-East Tasmania, about an hour from Hobart. It is
separated from the main part of Tasmania, firstly by a canal at Dunalley and then a narrow
land bridge at Eaglehawk Neck.
It also is the location for Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, which was
established in 1978 as the world's first Tasmanian devil centre. The centre is free of the devil tumour disease.
The park already has done research to develop a suitable devil-proof road traffic
grid at the Dunalley canal bridge access in conjunction with the University of
Tasmania.
It is in an ideal situation to provide on-going support for this project, especially
through breeding disease-free devils for wild release and playing a key role in
monitoring the wild population for disease-free status.
Media - please contact John Hamilton - tel +61 408 641 642
2. Employ a park veterinarian to:
Manage the park's disease-free devil breeding programmes
Manage and develop new systems for wildlife management
Develop a small Tasmanian wildlife hospital at the park
Conduct research with Tasmanian devils relating to Facial Tumour
Disease
3. Conduct extensive fauna and flora surveys of Tasman Peninsula
which, as a result of its isolation, has some unique "island-like" ecological
characteristics, e.g. it has endemic plants (those found nowhere else) and, on the other hand, no
platypuses.
4. Develop an international volunteer programme
This is being done through a UK organisation and also a Japanese
experience-oriented travel company
5. Further develop the park's Friends of the Devil programme
to raise funds and encourage volunteers.
6. Set up a foundation to raise funds for Tasmanian devil conservation
through sponsorship and donations.
The foundation will benefit private and institutional research,
field studies and also wildlife centres and volunteer programmes.
ERIC GUILER
- 5 July 2008
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park records with regret the death of Dr Eric Guiler,
widely regarded as the modern "father" of Tasmanian devil researchers.
He came to Tasmania after WW2 to follow the footsteps of Prof Theodore Flynn, one-time zoology professor at the University of Tasmania
and father of actor Errol, after studying under Flynn at Belfast University.
During the '50s, '60s and '70s Eric Guiler traipsed across much of Tasmania,
trapping devils and bringing back to the university many an amusing story and much information on the habits of the then unfashionable
devil.
He visited Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park on numerous occasions over the years
and was always interested in the park's devil work.
Conversing with Eric Guiler, who never lost the twinkle in his eye or his quirky sense
of humour, was always a delight.
While he became well known for his pursuit of the elusive thylacine (Tasmanian
tiger) Eric's papers and books about his Tasmanian devil studies shall, for many years,
remain a cornerstone for Tasmanian devil research.
- John Hamilton
WORLD TOURISM CAN HELP SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL,
PARK DIRECTOR
TELLS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
- 5 June 2008
The extensive global network of the world's tourism and travel industry can be
used to harness support to help save the now-endangered Tasmanian devil,
the
founder / director of Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, John Hamilton,
told an international tourism conference this week.
Addressing Tourism Futures 2008 on Australia's Gold Coast, he outlined a plan
whereby tourism could simply direct its clients and travel industry to a focal
Save the Devil website to help raise funds for a broad range of devil conservation programmes.
It is a very simple but important plan as losing the Tasmanian devil will be a really significant blow for Australian and Tasmanian tourism, he said.
"Funds raised can be spread across the general conservation effort, for field
monitoring studies, for private wildlife centres for disease-free captive
breeding and also to the very important scientific studies at the University of
Tasmania.
"It is arguable that the Tasmanian devil is the global indicator species for our time," John Hamilton said.
"I believe the global reach of tourism, through its accommodation and experience
suppliers, travel wholesalers and agents and also key players such as airlines
and shipping lines, can help us spread the word that we must save this iconic species."
John Hamilton said he would be working hard, initially through the Australian
travel networks, to help harness support for the Save the Devil effort.
John Hamilton's costs to travel and attend the conference were covered by
visitor entrance fees to Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.
Park expansion wins thumbs up from top international designer
- 23 April 2008
Hundreds of tonnes of earth have been moved, new waterways and dams have been built and our
new Tasmanian devil conservation station is now operational and it all has received the approval of Jon Coe,
the leading international zoo designer who has developed the innovative master plan for the "new"
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.
Jon Coe visited the park early this week to check on progress for the expansion and remodelling
project that aims to turn the park into the definitve "world's best" Tasmanian devil experience.
The plan, which will have visitors viewing the park animals as free in nature as its core design
strategy, also will incorporate a greater number of visitor experiences led by the park rangers.
These will include wild honey eater and parrot feedings and Mythbusters type shows using radar guns
to demonstrate the speed of devils and high pressure hydraulic rams to show the devil's amazing
jaw strength.
Already many of the park's old fences and barriers have been removed and replaced by earth mounding and native tree and shrub plantings.
Opening date for the "new" park is throughout late
2008 / early 2009.
Park wins government backing for innovative expansion project
- 11 March 2008
A "new-age" wildlife exhibit will open at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park throughout late
2008 / early 2009 thanks to a Tasmanian Government
tourism development grant of $175,000.
The project, parts of which will flip conventional wildlife exhibit thinking on its head,
will focus on the life of the Tasmanian devil.
Devils in forest, devils in marshland, devils in farmland and even devils by the sea are among
the themes for the project.
The concepts are the work of leading zoo architect, Jon Coe, whose recent efforts include designing
the "definitive" panda project in China and a superzoo in Abu Dhabi.
Removal of conventional barriers and utilisation of the park's rich natural environment
are key elements of the plan.
The "new" park also will feature a collection of the interesting native plants of the Tasman Peninsula where
the park is located.
Strong international media interest continues
- 9 March 2008.
World wide interest in Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park's work in helping to save the Tasmanian
devil is continuing apace.
A crew from Brazil TV with well known travel presenter Alvaro Garnero, an international playboy whose friends include
soccer hero Ronaldo, has just filmed a long segment at the park.
US celebrity chef, Ralph Pagano, and a team from the cable TV show Pressure Cook will be
shooting a piece with a difference in late March.
Pagano will actually be "working" at the park for a day to earn some "pocket money" so he can continue his global
travels.
He will, of course, meet some Tasmanian devils and a kangaroo or two along the way!
From Europe the award winning English language youth magazine, "Spot On", is doing a story about the day to day
work of the park's newest keeper, Sonia Sutton.
The publication, which still feature a detailed interview with Sonia, is widely used by teachers
in numerous countries to assist in the learning of English.
Other recent visitors to the park include crews from BBC TV from Britain, Bavarian television in
Germany and also Japan.
GPS satellite tracking for first wild release of orphaned devils
- 6 December 2007.
International media is focusing on a good news story about saving the now-endangered Tasmanian
devil.
The first of the Tasman Founder Project orphaned Tasmanian devils that have been in quarantined
care at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park have been released
with satellite tracking collars to trace their movements.
"These are really precious healthy devils that have been hand raised by dedicated carers then kept
in quarantine at our park for about a year after being rescued from their mothers who were
dying of devil facial tumour disease," park director, John Hamilton, said.
"The hand-raising and after-care has been so successful that they now can be sent back to the bush
to breed
to keep up the genetic diversity of the wild Forestier Peninsula population."
The project is a partnership between Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, the Government Devil
Disease Response team and University of Tasmania zoologist, Dr Menna Jones.
The GPS tracking programme will give valuable information on the likely effectiveness of long term
plans to return perhaps thousands of hand-raised orphans and healthy captive bred devils back to the wild.
It is expected another batch of orphans will be handed over to the park early in 2008.
Park director elected to the board of Hobart area tourism
- 20 November 2007.
John Hamilton, the founder / director of Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, has been elected
to the board of directors of Hobart region tourism for a two year term.
"This is a great opportunity to take the vital battle to save the devil right to the core of the tourism industry
as I believe key funding and support will have to come from visitors to Tasmania and tourism businesses," he said.
"Hobart is the number one visitor gateway to Tasmania and working with the Tasmania
South board represents the best chance to develop a support network that will make a real difference in the challenge ahead."
John Hamilton has been a key player in Tasmanian tourism and marketing since he started the park in 1978.
Massive new park expansion led by top international designer
- 18 November 2007.
A major new expansion programme that will take Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park to the
leading edge in wildlife exhibits is underway.
The new layout, which includes a number of world-first concepts for displaying Tasmanian devils,
has been designed by Jon Coe, arguably the world's top wildlife display designer.
"Jon usually works on massive projects and at the moment is designing the definitive panda display in China so we are thrilled
he has been able to visit us to put a plan for the future in place," park director, John Hamilton, said.
The new devil habitats will draw on rich natural forest, swamp and marshland environments on a previously off-display part
of the park property.
Visitors will be able to come face to face with devils in numerous different ways and also
walk through new bushland areas with free-ranging kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and potoroos.
"We are confident that the new area and the old parts that are to be rebuilt will place us at
the forefront of wildlife displays internationally," John Hamilton said.
The first of the new Tasmanian devil and kangaroo displays will be open before Easter while the rest of the project
will be opened progressively throughout 2008 with no disruption to the visitor experience.
An official re-opening is planned for 1 October 2008, exactly 30 years to day that work
started on building the original park exhibits.
New foundation to support vital research and practical conservation
of the Tasmanian devil.
- 26 August 2007
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park will soon have a new foundation that will harness resources
from around the globe to help in the fight to save the Tasmanian devil.
"Famed international conservationist, Prof David Bellamy, has launched the concept for us and we have
been working for nearly two years on fine tuning a strategy that will provide wide benefits for
all of the research and conservation teams,"
park director, John Hamilton
said.
"We will have a team of eminent zoological, veterinary and business leaders on the board who
will join us in developing our global network of Friends of the Devil to raise and distribute
monies.
"While there will be an emphasis on the conservation efforts here on Tasman Peninsula,
which is the only
isolated disease-free region in Tasmania, we will also be supporting research for
university and other scientists," he said.
It is planned that foundation will begin operations in 2008.
Register to become a Friend
and you will be the first to receive details of this vital new initiative.
Conservation Park director takes the lead in Tasmanian tourism industry
- 16 August 2007.
The director of Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, John Hamilton, has taken the Saving the Devil cause to the
Tasmanian tourism industry in an address to a major meeting of operators in Hobart.
"The fate of the Tasmanian devil is largely in the hands of the tourism industry," he told the gathering of industry leaders.
"It is going to require a great deal of money over a long period to effectively manage large
numbers of disease-free animals for future re-stocking and the greatest resource we have are visitors to Tasmania.
"They not only will have seen the island and learned of the Tasmanian devil dilemma at first hand but they can join our Friends of the Devil programme and also become ambassadors," he said.
Register for Friends of the Devil on this website and email this link to your friends - www.tasmaniandevilpark.com/friends.html.
Park to play key role in long term challenge to save the species
- 9 August 2007.
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park is set to help a massive breeding effort to save the Tasmanian devil that
could involve thousands of animals for up to 30 years.
The park's unique status as the only wildlife centre in Tasmania in a disease-free region
means it is in the best position for a large scale breeding programme safe
from the fatal devil facial tumour
disease.
The overall long term plan is to keep large numbers of healthy devils for re-stocking
Tasmania's wilderness areas when the disease risk has passed.
Stage one of the park's effort on Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania's South-East already is
under way with the Tasman Founder Project that involves looking after for 14 young orphans for
a year to ensure they are disease-free before they can be used as potential breeding stock.
It is envisaged that more than 1500 devils may eventually be involved, including some that might be sent
to international zoos.
Major breakthrough in genetics may lead to cancer resistant
devils
- 2 August 2007.
A brilliant breakthrough by a Tasmanian geneticist working in
conjunction with Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park could lead to
the possibility of producing cancer resistant Tasmanian devils.
The announcement was made in Auckland in late July where conservation park director, John Hamilton,
joined Tasmanian Government geneticist Anne-Maree Pearse and her assistant Kate Swift
at a conference on cutting-edge genetics.
In a scientific paper delivered at the conference Mrs Pearse explained that in general Tasmanian
devils have a chromosomal abnormality quite unlike other marsupials that probably
is the reason for the devil's susceptibility
to the fatal Devil Facial Tumour Diseasee that has wiped out more than half the wild popultion.
After a blood sample taken from a wild devil that had been trapped and released revealed a
normal chromosome line-up it was found that a devil donated by Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park
for research at the Tasmanian Government laboratory in Launceston also had the normal chromosome
characteristic that could hold the key to immunity.
John Hamilton said that further testing in 2005 showed a number of devils at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park
were found to carry what are now called the "ancestral chromosomes"
"In an encouraging discovery it was found that we inadvertently had been able to keep these special
genes going with our on-going breeding programme," he said.
"For 2007 and 2008 this breeding project is being developed further by mating heterozygous
animals with the aim of producing homozygous devils that may be immune to the disease.
In other words, there is a chance we might produce animals that are cancer resistant."
"This is not an easy task however as the park has only has a handful of suitable animals," he said.
A note: The ancestral chromosomal trait is difficult to find in the wild devil population as it
is estimated that only four to five per cent of wild devils may have these genes.
Trapping and blood sampling wild devils then holding them until the samples go through a complex
testing programme is effectively impossible.
New one day Tasmanian devil conservation adventure for late 2007 - 1 August 2007
Mineral water company to help Tasman Founder Project
look after more than 30 young Tasmanian devils for a year
- 7 January 2007.
In a major boost to restoring a wild disease-free population of Tasmanian devils more than 30 hand-raised orphaned devils are to be managed in captivity then released late in 2007.
The project will be based at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park at Taranna on Tasman Peninsula and will be funded by Hartz, Tasmania’s leading mineral company.
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park is the only wildlife park in Tasmania in an isolated devil disease-free area.
“We have built new quarantined devil facilities here alongside the park and given our disease-free status we have the only place that can effectively handle this vital project,” park director, John Hamilton, said.
“This is the first time a restocking project of this size has been attempted.”
The park will now manage the animals with financial assistance from the Hartz Mineral Water company which is contributing five cents from the sale of every bottle of 600ml still water this summer.
The little devils will be on view through remote cameras that will link to screens at the park reception.
Mr Hamilton said the young animals, which have been hand-raised, would be now be looked after by volunteers who will be specially trained for the job.
New Devil Survival Visitor Centre design under way
- 19 October 2005
A new Visitor Centre to tell the story of the battle to save the Tasmanian devil is scheduled to open at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park in early December.
Visitors to the new free of charge exhibition will learn about the mysterious cancer that is killing many of the island's devils and also how wildlife experts and scientific teams are fighting the threat.
At the end of the experience visitors will be invited to become partners in the Tasmanian Devil Survival Project by by setting up support groups in their home towns or by making regular donations.
The centre, to be built at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park at Taranna in Tasmania's South East, is being funded as part of the park's $250,000 contribution to the Tasmanian Devil Survival Project.
Tasmanian devil now on "threatened species" list
- 10 October 2005
The famous Tasmanian devil is now officially a "threatened species".
The devil population has dramatically crashed in the past three to five years as result of the mysterious facial cancer that is spreading out of control across the island.
The origin and cause of the cancer is not known and there is no test for the disease.
In all cases the facial tumour disease is fatal, killing the animal within five to six months of the first signs.
A team of researchers at the Tasmanian Government Mt Pleasant Laboratory in Northern Tasmania has been studying the problem.
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park is contributing $250,000 to save the Tasmanian devil
9 August 2005
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park has offered to contribute $250,000 to the Tasmanian Devil Survival Project over the next three years.
This will include designing and building new off-site breeding facilities, managing new breeding programmes, setting up a volunteer support group and independent fund raising trust, TV adverts and 100,000 new Save the Devil brochures.
An important part of the project will be to develop a new free-of-charge Devil Survival Visitor Centre at the park backed up by extensive marketing to let visitors know what work is being done by the scientific teams, how they can visit the area and how they can contribute to help save the devil.
It is planned that this centre will be staffed by volunteers. Design of the Visitor Centre starts later this week.
sFunding for the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park contribution will come from tourism and, it is hoped, supporting companies.
Car rally to help save the Tasmanian devil
18 July 2005
An around Tasmania car rally in November is to be a fund raiser to help save the famous Tasmanian devil from threat of extinction by a mysterious fatal cancer.
The disease, which causes horrific facial tumours, is sweeping out of control in the Tasmanian wilderness and more than half of wild devil population has been wiped out.
The director of the Tasmanian Devil Classic, John Hamilton, is a partner in the Devil Survival Project which aims to raise $250,000 for the construction of special breeding stations to build up disease free "insurance" populations.
"We are been very much involved in this project as our main Tasmanian tourism operation is the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park wildlife rescue centre on Tasman Peninsula," John Hamilton said.
"Our plan is to put 10 per cent of the entry fee for the Classic towards the project so in effect entrants have the opportunity of helping to save a great Tasmanian, and Australian, icon."
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park leads international effort to save the Tasmanian devil
22 June 2005.
International zoologists may be heading for Tasmania to assist in The Tasmanian Devil Survival Project.
John Hamilton, a project partner and director of Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park in Tasmania's South East, has just returned from a number of meetings with leading UK wildlife conservation establishments including London Zoo, Durrell Wildlife's Jersey Zoo and the Royal Dick Vet School at Edinburgh University.
"The reception we received and interest in the project to stop the devil becoming extinct from the fatal contagious cancer was phenomenal", he said.
"I feel confident we have opened the door to having international zoologists and epidemiologists becoming involved."
The next step was to access funding sources to help with the programme, he said.
The research trip was sponsored by Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.
Fantastic new joint plan to save wild populations of Tasmanian devils
22 March 2005.
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, Tasmania's longest established wildlife rescue centre, is to become the main information and possibly operations centre in a major conservation project to save wild Tasmanian devils from being wiped out by a rapidly spreading infectious cancer.
The disease, known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), is reckoned to have killed more than half of all wild devils.
Such has been the rapid spread of DFTD in the past five years that researchers believe it may no longer be possible to contain the disease on the main Tasmanian land mass, especially as it has now been discovered in the island's rugged South West.
The plan, which involves Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, is to retreat to the isolated Tasman Peninsula in the south east corner in a bid to retail at least a small population of disease free animals.
The peninsula is connected by two narrow necks of land and it is planned to fence these together with "devil-proof" grids that will allow road traffic to pass while preventing diseased animals from entering.
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, which is located in the centre of the peninsula, has been breeding Tasmanian devils for more than a quarter of a century.
Park staff will assist Nature Conservation and University of Tasmania zoologists in managing these wild devils and also breeding insurance population in quarantined breeding facilities.
The park already has established its own quarantined area for this purpose.
It is expected the project will continue for some years.
More - contact us at [email protected]
