Tassie devils

[Wherever I may roam]

Just curious as to when walkers last sighted a Tassie devil in the wild and where it was?

[Strider]

Not sighted but heard two devils on dusk near Pool of Bethesda, WoJ in Feb 2014.

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[devoswitch]

I saw one in the middle of the day on the way up the zig zag track on Mt Wellington during the last low snow day we had here a few weeks ago!
I've seen one on the backside of Mt Wellington heading towards Collins Bonnet not too long ago either.

[Wollemi]

January 2015. On a multi-week walk along a bit of the coast in SW WHA, S of the Mainwaring.
Several minutes after sunset, a Devil walked out of the scrub and, seemingly confidently, walked my way. Stopped, looked up at me for a few seconds, then ran away. Both gaits demonstrated a semi-crabbing movement, which was interesting.

Days later, a companion woke everyone else still asleep in tents, saying he watched a Devil run across rocks to get at a flock of ducks - which simply flew a few metres to land on the ocean surface. But it won't be there now, I said. Yet we hurriedly dressed and went for a look - and it was still there, pacing from rock to rock and looking at its missed breakfast.
One in our group wasn't bothered to have a look, as she had seen them 'many times' when caravanning with her parents.

[north-north-west]

Butlers Gorge, a week ago, about 6pm.

[Hallu]

Anyone been on Maria Island recently ? How's the population over here ? A documentary I saw claimed they're getting quite familiar and that you can see them during the day.

[MickyB]

I have only ever seen one in the wild but that was about 13 years ago. Can't remember exactly where but we were driving along and a young devil appeared out of the bushes beside the road. Being my favorite animal it was one of the highlights of that trip.

Anyone been on Maria Island recently ? How's the population over here ? A documentary I saw claimed they're getting quite familiar and that you can see them during the day.

Was that the 6 part documentary called Devil Island? Haven't been to Maria Island but their population is doing extremely well. http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasma ... 7188878220

Some 28 disease-free devils were introduced to the East Coast island throughout 2012 and 2013, and that group has grown to a healthy population of between 70 and 80.

[Hallu]

Yes that was that one Micky, very interesting.

[aloftas]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j88BcgzzcTc



This "tumor" has different capabilities per generation.

[corvus]

On the road to Queenstown about seven years ago ,young one on the move from mum.

[Orion]

delete

[Thornbill]

Anyone been on Maria Island recently ? How's the population over here ? A documentary I saw claimed they're getting quite familiar and that you can see them during the day.

I was on Maria about a month ago and there was a devil sleeping under the veranda of the Penitentiary in the sun all day. Not at all bothered by us sitting above it having a cuppa.

[stepbystep]

Tarkine coast, near Sundown River cpl months back. Saw one on the side of the road near the Milkshake Hills on the same trip.

[teak]

DSCN0250.jpg (43.77 KiB) Viewed 22351 times

I saw this young devil next to the Wilmot River downstream from Spellmans Bridge late last year

[RichB]

In my back garden on a regular basis in Wynyard..

[Nuts]

A healthy youngster teak, nice find!

Last week, an overnight visit on the west coast.

PS
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-02/t ... ct/6741972

[Nuts]

Here's some further news (and a great pic ),

Screen Shot 2015-09-06 at 11.01.56 PM.png (711.67 KiB) Viewed 22257 times

fingers crossed and well done to those involved.
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/332 ... tos/?cs=86

[MickyB]

Thanks for the link Nuts.

Am I correct in assuming that devils don't currently live in Narawntapu National Park?

I also didn't realise that the devils could be vaccinated against DFTD.

[Arctic Camel]

Up beside Guildford junction about 4 years ago, but used to hear them all the time beside Rommaine reserve Burnie.

[Hallu]

Thanks for the link Nuts.

Am I correct in assuming that devils don't currently live in Narawntapu National Park?

I also didn't realise that the devils could be vaccinated against DFTD.

"Having a vastly reduced number of devils means the ecosystem is not totally functioning and when you walk around Narawntapu now although there are devils there are lots of carcases lying around that haven't been cleaned up.

"There's more food there for devils than there are devils."

[MickyB]

Thanks for the link Nuts.

Am I correct in assuming that devils don't currently live in Narawntapu National Park?

I also didn't realise that the devils could be vaccinated against DFTD.

"Having a vastly reduced number of devils means the ecosystem is not totally functioning and when you walk around Narawntapu now although there are devils there are lots of carcases lying around that haven't been cleaned up.

"There's more food there for devils than there are devils."

Thanks Hallu. Not sure how it happened but I didn't see any of the article that is beneath the photo of the wombat .

[Nuts]

I'm not sure what the vaccinations were for Micky, not DFTD.
They have an ongoing problem with mange out there, I'd suspect just specific to Wombats & not something i'd assume helped by vaccination?

[myrtlegirl]

Devils which have been vaccinated against DTFD will be released into Nawrantapu this month. Researchers have used 2 different vaccine formulations on a total of 19 devils. 18 of the devils showed an immune response, these will be released. The vaccine is in the test stages, it's not a sure -fire thing, just a step in the right direction, and this is a test in the wild as opposed to the lab.

A major problem with DTFD is that the devil's immune system doesn't 'see' the disease, thus there's no immune response. Getting an immune response is a really, really important breakthrough!

Of course, DTFD may mutate to avoid the current immune response.

The vaccinated devils will be monitored to see if they remain disease-free.

[MickyB]

I'm not sure what the vaccinations were for Micky, not DFTD.
They have an ongoing problem with mange out there, I'd suspect just specific to Wombats & not something i'd assume helped by vaccination?

I looked up what they could have been immunised for and found the following:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-22/s ... ld/6639632

A test group of Tasmanian devils vaccinated against the deadly facial tumour disease which is threatening to wipe them out is ready to be released in the wild.

The devils will be released in the Narawntapu National Park in northern Tasmania in September.

Edit: Sorry myrtlegirl. I didn't see your response

[Nuts]

Thanks myrtlegirl/Micky, I did wonder myself if i'd not understood the stage they were at.

[MickyB]

The article in The Advocate was a bit confusing which is why I looked it up. Let's hope it's a success.

A couple of years ago I heard about something the experts wanted to trial to increase devil numbers in captivity (Insurance Population). The idea was to try and create the same milk as what a mother devil produces. The mother devil gives birth to many young but only have four teats so only (up to) four babies survive. The plan was to 'rescue' the babies that weren't quick enough to reach the teat and raise them on the new milk formula. Not sure if they ever trialed it but it sounded good in theory.

[Nuts]

It's not a good start for the new arrivals, surely unfortunate chance but at those rates it's surprising the existing population survives. Good luck to them, maybe moving around, hungry, easy meals roadside? (Sure Fairfax media has the answers )

http://www.examiner.com.au/story/340074 ... afe/?cs=95

[vicrev]

Such a shame. .........On occasion we have been with international visitors to Tassie & they are horrified at the amount of roadkill... ....

[RichB]

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[RichB]

Please see this : http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/339 ... ial/?cs=87