Local demi-god Chris Hemsworth and his equally stunning wife Elsa Pataky have helped release the Tasmanian devil back onto the Australian mainland, for the first time in 3,000 years. We’ve missed you, little kings.
Teaming up with a group of conservationists at Aussie Ark, Chris Hemsworth and his wife released the devils back into the wild, in a remarkable effort to see the animal returning to the mainland, after being declared extinct from it for 3,000 years.
Together the duo released 11 Tassie devils into Barrington Tops National Park, NSW, which is a 1,000-acre wildlife sanctuary. In doing so, there is hope that the endangered species will begin to flourish again outside of Tasmania.
“We laid some traps to catch the devils, and then we’re releasing them out into the wild,” Hemsworth said in a YouTube video showcasing the release, which was revealed on Monday.
The actual release occurred on September 10, and you can check out the vid below.
Since 2010, Aussie Ark has been responsible for making it their mission to rebuild the Tasmanian devil population. As a unit, they have been studying the nature of the animals, including their reproductive traits, behaviours and the ways they interact with the environment.
Of course, Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky casually pop in every now and then to say g’day. It’s important to note that while he may be involved with the cause, he isn’t exactly the one for thank for this historic moment.
Every little legend that is released out into the wild is tracked with a radio collar so they don’t walk right back into extinction again. Come on kings, you’ve got this.
“In 100 years, we are going to be looking back at this day as the day that set in motion the ecological restoration of an entire country,” Tim Faulkner, president of Aussie Ark, said in a statement.
These Tassie devils are also notable disease-free. The population of the wild animal was reduced by 90% when it was met with a fatal disease called Devil Facial Tumour Disease. As you can imagine, it’s not a very fun time for the little guys.
“Not only does the reintroduction bode well for the recovery of the Tasmanian devil, but as native apex predators and the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials, they help control feral cats and foxes that threaten other endangered and endemic species,” the Aussie Ark website states.
Here’s to the Tassie devil, may they live long and prosper.
