DEVIL Ark is celebrating this week with the first birthday of one of Devil Ark’s cheekiest Tasmanian devils Sporty.
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Sporty was named after one of Devil Ark’s Project Partners, the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc.
“Not only is Sporty one of our most boisterous animals, he is such an important member of the Devil Ark family as he shows the success of sponsors supporting our initiative,” general manager Tim Faulkner explained.
“Organisations like Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc ensure the continuation of our important work and give hope to the Tasmanian devil as a species.
“Sporty’s first birthday also coincides with the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc’s second year of continued support for Devil Ark by giving the organisation $135,000 assisting in costs related to the care of our Tasmanian devil population.
“The organisation has also stepped up support in 2017, and now also give ‘on the ground’ support by volunteering for works at Devil Ark, to assist the not for profit in continued site improvements.”
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc executive director Diana Melham said what made the partnership special “was the important role both organisations play in conservation”.
“Responsible wildlife management is all about protecting our environment and that includes the conservation of endangered wildlife, ecosystems, and biodiversity which the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc is committed to,” she said.
“Any endangered species is really our collective responsibility in Australia.
“Having already lost the Tasmanian tiger, we at Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc don’t want to see the Tasmanian devil face the same fate.”
Located at an altitude of 1350m in the Barrington Tops, the Devil Ark facility is characterised by rainforest and subalpine woodland, providing the perfect breeding environment for devils.
Devil Ark is a part of a national breeding program to save the species from extinction.
It remains the most successful captive breeding facility for the endangered Tasmanian devil on the mainland – starting out in 2011 with 44 founder animals, the facility now holds an impressive 52 per cent of the mainland insurance population being 154 animals.
Currently classified as endangered the Tasmanian devil is under threat from a transmissible called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).
In Tasmania, the disease has reduced the wild population to less than 90 per cent in some areas.
DFTD continues to menace the endangered Tasmanian devil population.
With still no cure or vaccine in sight and a continuing population decline, insurance programs like Devil Ark continue to be the species’ best hope of long term survival.
