Devils in Danger, page 13
April smiled. ‘You ready?’
I put down my journal and squeezed my toy Fern tightly. This was it. Could Bella really be denning?
I could hardly watch as April tipped Bella over. I held my breath when, with gloved hands, she gently moved aside the skin of Bella’s pouch.
I gasped. Was that? Could it be? A tiny round backside, comfortably nestled against Bella’s soft pink tummy.
‘One healthy imp,’ reported April. ‘Approximately twelve weeks old.’
I stifled an excited squeal. Bella was a mum! Just like Fern! I snatched up my journal from where it had fallen between my knees to the ground and quickly scribbled down the new information, my writing messier than ever.
‘How about that, little Bella?’ murmured April as she carefully removed her fingers to allow the pouch to close. ‘You came home to show us your young!’
I closed my journal, held my plush Fern tight and grinned. ‘Bella!’ I announced. ‘You really are a super devil. You’re going to save your species!’
Killarney’s Scientific Journal
Hi, everyone. It’s me, Killarney. I hope you enjoyed my story! Aren’t devils just the best? I’m guessing you’ve been wondering what I wrote in my journal for all those months when Fern and her family lived at my place. I thought you might like to take a peek, but because of my messy handwriting (I know, such a pain, right?), Noah helped me type up a few pages for you to read. I hope you find the information useful and fascinating.
What are Tasmanian devils?
Tasmanian devils are marsupials, which means females have pouches to carry and feed their young. Devil mothers are pregnant for about twenty-one days, giving birth to twenty to forty young, each about the size of a grain of rice. However, since the mum has only four teats in her pouch, only up to four babies can survive. The babies (called imps and then joeys) stay in the mother’s pouch for about four months, after which she leaves them in a den, feeding them regularly until they are weaned at about ten months old. Devils live for about five or six years, sometimes even seven.
Where do Tasmanian devils live?
Hundreds of years ago, Tasmanian devils lived everywhere in Australia, but they became extinct on the mainland about 3000 years ago. Sadly, Tasmanian farmers used to hunt them, worried they would kill their livestock. Luckily, in 1941, devils became protected and now wild Tasmanian devils can be found across the state, from the coasts to the mountains, and sometimes even in the suburbs.
What do devils look like?
Devils are about the size of a small dog and are mostly black with small white markings. Adult male devils are usually the biggest and can grow about thirty centimetres high and weigh about fourteen kilograms (which is about the weight of a small pug). Their super big heads can make up about a quarter of their weight, I guess because they have such powerful jaws.
What do devils eat?
Devils are carnivores (meat-eaters) but also scavengers, and are not too fussy about what they eat. They’ll happily chomp down on a whole carcass, even the bones and fur. They also like lizards, frogs and insects. These days, most farmers understand that devils would never eat their cows or sheep, unless they were sick, injured or dead.
Are devils dangerous?
Devils may look fierce, but they would much rather run than fight. Even though they have big teeth and look scary, they don’t attack people. Although, like all animals, they would defend themselves if they were threatened or trapped.
Are devils useful?
Devils are super useful. They help keep the bush healthy by cleaning up sick and dead animals, controlling feral cats and other introduced animals like foxes, but most of all, they are useful in encouraging tourists to come and see Tasmania.
What are the threats to devils?
Before they became extinct, thylacines (Tasmanian tigers) used to hunt devils, but these days, it’s really only quolls and large birds of prey, such as eagles and owls, that feed on young devils. Some adult devils might attack young devils (ewww) but only if they get desperate.
Apart from these natural predators, one of the main threats to devils are humans. Humans are rapidly clearing the natural habitat of many species, causing them to have fewer places to live. We also let our dogs run free, our cats go wild and use nasty poison like Ratsak which kills native animals too. But worst of all are cars. Thousands of wildlife are killed each year on our roads, which makes installing things like the laser road devices so, so important.
The second threat is the devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), which is a form of cancer spread when devils bite each other. We’ve lost approximately eighty per cent of devils in some populations since this disease was recognised in 1996. Lumps or lesions from DFTD grow on the face or neck of the poor devil, getting larger until it can’t eat anymore and dies. Sadly, sick devils usually die about three to six months after first showing signs of the disease.
What does the future hold?
Scientists are working hard to find a cure for DFTD and are busily developing effective vaccines. The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program thinks, however, it might be the devils’ own genetics that saves them from extinction. Researchers have found that some infected devils have actually recovered from the disease. Even better, their joeys have also survived if they got the tumours. Which means there will be more and more devils with natural immunity in every generation.
Meanwhile, a large number of healthy devils (approximately 600) have been separated from diseased devils in special quarantine areas all around Australia. These devils are being used in a breeding program called the insurance population to make sure their species doesn’t become extinct.
For those devils still in the wild, wildlife officers are constantly monitoring their health by trapping them and letting them go, and using remote sensor cameras to make sure they’re okay. Plus, any spare healthy devils from the insurance population are regularly released back into nature to increase the numbers and genetic diversity of wild devil populations.
The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program and other associated organisations are also trying to help save the devils by reducing roadkill (by fundraising and installing virtual fences), by encouraging people to look out for devils and not letting their pets, like cats and dogs, put devils at risk, and by using tame, quiet devils in zoos and parks across the world to act as ambassadors for this amazing species.
What can you do to help?
If, like me, you want to save our Tassie devils, this is what you can do:
Tell everyone how amazing Tassie devils are
Report killed, injured or sick devils to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program – check out their great app ‘Roadkill Tasmania’
Keep dogs on leads and cats inside where devils and other wildlife live
Avoid using rat poison as it will also kill native animals
Encourage our governments to protect wild habitats
Help the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program raise funds for more research and for things like virtual fences on hotspot roads
Useful websites
dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/save-the-tasmanian-devil-program
The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, or STDP for short, was set up in 2003 by the Australian and Tasmanian governments after devil researchers noticed that Tasmanian devils were getting sick. A whole heap of research institutions, universities, wildlife parks and zoos, plus anyone who wanted to conserve our precious wildlife became involved, both in Australia and overseas, to find ways to help Tassie devils and raise money to save them.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/t/tasmanian-devil
This National Geographic site is super cool. It has heaps of information about the Tasmanian devil, plus some awesome videos of devils fighting over food and playing.
www.bonorong.com.au and www.tasmaniandevilunzoo.com.au
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Tasmanian Devil Unzoo are two amazing places where devils are being kept safe until we’ve found a cure for devil facial tumour disease. Bonorong has an incredible wildlife hospital and loads of devils to see, plus the Unzoo is helping the virtual fence project and other important research.
www.wildlifesafetysolutions.com.au
This amazing company developed the virtual fences that I raised money for. These special fences help protect Tassie devils by stopping them from crossing busy roads, which I think is the best idea ever, don’t you? Tasmania was the first place in all of Australia to try these devices, but I wish all roads could have them so our wildlife would be safe.
Acknowledgements
I met a ridiculous number of passionate Tassie devil advocates while researching Devils in Danger, making it easy to stay motivated whenever the story tripped me up. I really had no idea how loved Tasmanian devils were. It’s definitely one of the perks of the job: meeting with and talking to like-minded people about our Australian wildlife. How lucky are we to live in such a beautiful country?
I can only begin to mention the list of those who helped me on my Tassie devil journey.
David Pemberton, long-time devil advocate, made time in his super busy Save the Tasmanian Devil Program schedule to meet me in the best bookshop in Hobart, to chat about all things devil, most specifically what we can do to help. Thanks for your support and helpful words, David, and congratulations on the fabulous roadkill app.
Connor Hammer from Unzoo not only showed me how sensor cameras work, but also introduced me to his precious Fern, a baby brush-tailed rock-wallaby, not a devil, that he’d hand-raised himself.
Renae Riviere, John and Steve from Conservation Volunteers Australia told me all about insurance populations and encouraged me to go to Bicheno to watch devils feeding at night. Great tip! Thanks, guys.
Greg Irons, passionate devil advocate, built an amazing wildlife hospital at Bonorong Sanctuary, where I was able to spend the evening with not only devils, but quolls, copperhead snakes, bettongs and Luigi, the three-legged echidna. What joy! Thank you, Greg, for all you do for our wildlife.
Vica Bailey from The Wilderness Society in Hobart is not only an all-round nice guy, but offered to introduce me to so many people to help with my research (including David Pemberton from STDP). Vica provided useful insights into devil habitat and survival and encouraged me to research virtual fences as part of my story’s solution.
Thank you, with all my heart, to my readers, young and old, who support Aussie books and share their enthusiasm for our environment everywhere I go. I couldn’t do this without you.
And finally, thanks, as always, to Jo Hunt for another amazing cover design and the incredible team at UQP, most particularly Cathy Vallance and Clair Hume, for all your support and hard work on my projects. Thanks too to the wonderful Kristina Schulz, who commissioned this story way back when and has continued to support me through and through.
Lastly, thanks to my beautiful family. You’ve been there from the start.
Also by Samantha Wheeler
WOMBAT WARRIORS
Winner, The Wilderness Society Awards for Children’s Literature
Mouse is not prepared for her last-minute stay at Aunt Evie’s. How will she cope at a new school without her parents around?
But before Mouse has even unpacked her suitcase, she makes a new friend – a wombat called Miss Pearl! Suddenly, being in a strange cottage doesn’t seem so bad, especially when she can snuggle up with a wombat.
Mouse soon learns that not everyone in the area loves wombats, including Aunt Evie’s landlord, a sheep farmer who destroys them on sight.
Can Mouse find her voice in time to keep her furry friends safe?
‘This is a wonderful story about fighting for what you believe in, growing up and finding your independence, but also highlights the plight of our native animals.’ Lamont Books
‘An uplifting book with a positive message about working together.’ The Sunday Telegraph
ISBN 978 0 7022 5958 6
First published 2021 by University of Queensland Press
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Copyright © Samantha Wheeler 2021
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as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced,
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Cover design and illustration by Jo Hunt
Internal illustrations by Jo Hunt
Author photograph by Jack Venables
Typeset in 12/19 pt Adobe Garamond Pro by Post Pre-press Group, Brisbane
University of Queensland Press is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
University of Queensland Press is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia.
ISBN 978 0 7022 6329 3 (pbk)
ISBN 978 0 7022 6511 2 (epdf)
ISBN 978 0 7022 6512 9 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7022 6513 6 (kindle)
UQP is not responsible for content found on non-UQP websites.
Samantha Wheeler, Devils in Danger
