VIDEO: Barrington Tops National Park

Barrington Tops National Park in NSW is home to an insurance population of Tasmanian devils.

Video produced and edited by Andrew Gregory.

TASSIE DEVILS ARE FIGHTING a losing battle against transmissable Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD - see AG 84). They are in rapid decline and could become extinct in the wild in 15-25 years. That's why the Australian Reptile Park and the Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered species have established Devil Ark, a 500ha breeding facility at Ellerston station, just north of Barrington Tops.

"The whole idea behind Devil Ark is to create an insurance population of genetically diverse devils that we can eventually release into Tasmania," says keeper Adrian Good.

He hopes the disease will die out with Tasmania's wild devils so healthy populations won't be infected upon release. The 43 devils that were brought to Devil Ark in January are thriving at an altitude of 1350m, where the conditions are similar to Tasmania.  

Tasmania devil breeding program expecting success

"The only artificial thing here is the fenceline," says Adrian, who is confident that the Barrington devils, which are mostly left to their own devices, won't lose the innate behaviours they need to survive in the wild. "Because of the environment up here, we're expecting great breeding successes," he says.

Adrian has already seen large numbers of young born this year and he hopes that by 2016, Devil Ark will be home to 360 devils.

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