Wildlife Conservation Australia Project #10280

Help Save the Tasmanian Devil

by Conservation Volunteers Australia

Project Report | Aug 6, 2013
Taking Care of the Elders project now underway

By Prue Simmons | Wild Futures Coordinator

Getting the all-important fence in place

Works have started on our Taking Care of the Elders project, to build large, free-range enclosures for Tasmanian Devils that are retiring from the breeding program at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. After successful years of breeding and contributing to the ongoing success of increasing insurance populations, these hardworking Devils are now ready for a well-earned rest!

Many of these Devils were originally from the wild, brought in to help increase population numbers of healthy Devils. Unable to return to the wild due to risk of exposure to the disease, these large enclosures will ensure they are free to roam, stretch their legs and live in safety and comfort for the rest of their days.

Conservation Volunteers Australia has been busy with initial construction of the 660sq metre enclosure, which will include native habitat, isolation and segregation areas, common sniffing platforms, digging mounds and sleeping facilities. The enclosure will house up to 25 Devils at a time. Volunteers have recently braved the cool winter Tassie conditions to start construction, but more building materials are needed for upcoming works to be completed.

Fencing is our main priority at the moment to establish the boundary of the enclosure and ensure the Devils are safe and sound. Your valuable donation will assist in procuring vital materials needed to complete this project. You can choose what you would like to support through set amounts for fencing materials, plants and tools – or pledge your own amount and know that you are contributing to the survival of this wonderful, iconic species.

A huge thank you to those that have supported our Tasmanian Devil project so far – your contribution will ensure that these important conservation efforts continue and that the Tasmanian Devil will have a Wild Future!

Volunteers hard at work in chilly Tasmania

The enclosure will enable older Devils to relax

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May 13, 2013
New Enclosures - Making Sense of Scents

By Prue Simmons | Wild Futures National Coordinator

Smell is an important form of communication

Our Taking Care of the Elders enclosure project is underway. Planning is currently being held to ensure that the enclosures are the best construction and design to cater to the needs of the ageing Tasmanian Devils, so that they can enjoy their ‘retirement’ from the breeding program and live out their days in comfort, contentment and safety.

DID YOU KNOW - The Tasmanian Devil has a very keen sense of smell. The olfactory bulb – the part of brain that is used to detect and interpret smells is enormous in the Tassie Devil’s brain and gives a good indication of the importance of smell for survival. In the wild, these animals use their sense of smell to communicate, find food, find mates and establish territory. In fact, the Tassie Devil’s nose is so sensitive they can detect scents up to 1km (0.6 mi) away!

When in captivity, an important part of Tasmanian Devil husbandry is providing these animals with good mental stimulation, enabling them to hone their keen sense of smell and prevent boredom. Thinking up novel ways of keeping Devils entertained keeps the wildlife keepers busy! To challenge and support their keen sense of smell, ‘bloodcicles’ are sometimes put in the enclosure (blocks of frozen blood), enabling this carnivorous marsupial keep busy by sniffing it out, similar to finding carrion in the wild – gory but great for Devils! Food and other native animal faeces are scattered through the enclosure to make the enclosure a dynamic enclosure full of scents that they would encounter in the wild.

Our new enclosures will have ‘smelling platforms’, where the Devils can climb up (another favourite activity) and sniff around. This is all just part of the important process of ensuring that Tasmanian Devils in captivity are mentally, emotionally and physically healthy!

With plans being finalised on creating these fantastic, dynamic enclosures, our attention now turns to procuring the building materials so that we can start the building process! We need to raise funds to buy these materials and hope that you can help us.

You can choose what you would like to support through set amounts for fencing materials, plants and tools – or pledge your own amount and know that you are contributing to the survival of this wonderful, iconic species.

Hope for the future for this young devil

Devils like to get up high for a look and a sniff

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Feb 19, 2013
Fantastic new project - Taking Care of the Elders

By Prue Simmons | Wild Futures National Coordinator

Devils love watching from a high vantage point

Happy 2013 and thank you to everyone that helped our Tasmanian Devil program in 2012. Your generous donations have enabled us to assist in expanding vital breeding programs as we fight to ensure this amazing species does not disappear down the road to extinction.

With new breeding enclosures now well established and the Devils settling in nicely, Conservation Volunteers Australia will be taking on a new project for Tasmanian Devils. What happens to older Tassie Devils when they have finished their part in the breeding program? They go into retirement of course! Conservation Volunteers Australia will be working with Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to establish a new enclosure for the devils who are ready to retire and relax - a 'Retirement Village'. We call it the ‘Taking Care of the Elders’ project. The ageing Devils have made an important and long-lasting contribution to the ongoing survival of the species and now they can live out the rest of their days in relaxed comfort, enjoying social interaction, good food and shelter.

As part of our ‘Taking Care of the Elders’ program, we need your help to obtain materials for the project. Fencing, infrastructure for dens and shelter and native plants to provide habitat and shade are all necessary to ensure that our older Tassie Devils heading into retirement are happy, comfortable and healthy. A fitting reward for the hard work they have provided and an important part of looking after the species throughout its entire life in captivity.

You can choose what you would like to support through set amounts for fencing materials, plants, tools – or pledge your own amount and know that you are contributing to the survival of this incredible species.

A big thank you to those that have supported the project so far and we hope that you can continue to join us in the fight against extinction for Tasmanian Devils with our Taking Care of the Elders project.

Enjoying a dip on a hot day

Retired Devils will be able to seek out new scents

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