Member Blog: Better the devil [joey] you know
Normally parents are on their kids backs about homework or cleaning their room, but when it comes to Tasmanian Devils it’s the other way around.
Three adorable Endangered Tasmanian Devil joeys have made their debut at Healesville Sanctuary with one even riding on mum’s back in the afternoon sun – a sight that’s rarely seen in daylight.
The trio have been rough-housing and tumbling around their habitat as they become accustomed to life outside of mum’s pouch and the den, exploring everything the world has to offer particularly on sunny days.
Keeper Bianca said visitors can see mum Mocha with her three tiny terrors who are just six months old.
"The joeys are at a really cute age. They are still reliant on mum. So, they are still drinking her milk, but they are starting to transition to food. You can see them come out following mum, grabbing her food, back riding and they’re playful with each other," Keeper Bianca said.
The joeys have been venturing out at all times of the day. However, you are more likely to see them active in the late afternoon as they are a mostly nocturnal species. Keeper Bianca said, “Mum Mocha is a really active mother, so the joeys like to follow her lead by coming out of the den when she does.” The sexes of the joeys are still to be determined. It’s believed at least one is male and one is female. This will be confirmed in the coming months during health assessments. The joeys are also yet to be named.
“We name the litters after themes to keep track of who is related to who. We’ve previously had pasta, dumplings and board game themes. This year, we are thinking about a monster theme for the little offspring that visitors can see. We were thinking Mocha’s monsters. We are liking the names Minotaur and Medusa,” said Keeper Bianca.
Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) is part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, and works with zoos and conservation partners across Australia to safeguard the Endangered species. We breed a genetically stable insurance population of devils at the Sanctuary. A major threat to the survival of this carnivorous marsupial in the wild is a disease known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) which is characterised by obvious facial tumors and spreads when they eat carcasses communally or bite each other.
This breeding season 13 Tasmanian Devil joeys have been born at Healesville Sanctuary, ranging in age from four to six months.
Make sure you come say hello on your next visit!
