Baby blitz set to continue with 'gnarly' devils
Conservationists see jellybean-shaped Tasmanian devil joeys as "amazing" compared to their gnarly and chunky mothers.
Ten egg-like joeys have been confirmed as the newest members of mainland Australia's largest fleet of Tasmanian devils.
It follows the first pouch check of the 2025 breeding season at
Aussie Ark's Barrington Tops sanctuary
in northern NSW.
A recent deluge that brought more than 600mm to the region also didn't rain on the devils' parade, with a spokesman saying all the joeys, mums and dads were safe.
Operation manager Dean Reid said up to four more devils are expected to conceive in June in the final breeding window of the year.
"It's really amazing to be able to handle a devil ... and see those amazing devils come out of the pouch," Mr Reid said on Thursday.
"These gnarly, big, chunky animals have little baby joeys in their pouch.
"We've got four more females that didn't have them and one we missed, so more joeys to come."
The Tasmanian devils' mating season occurs over three cycles from February to June, with birth coming after 21 days' gestation.
When catching the devils, the conservationists found there was a mix of joeys from the first and second cycle conceptions.
Mr Reid also said the joeys' fathers and mothers were doing well.
"While we have the females, we do a full health check, we're doing body scores, weight and giving them preventatives," Mr Reid said.
"In a couple of months, we're going to see little tiny joeys running around."
The announcement comes on World Environment Day.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
14-06-2025
- The Age
Lethal backs a roofed stadium in Tassie; Blues blow: Walsh out for up to six weeks
The construction of a roofed stadium in Hobart is a key condition for the Devils to join the league. Loading 'All I am saying is, a heavy dew is the worst playing conditions, even when it is heavy rain,' Matthews said, adding it was a similar situation to the humidity in Darwin. 'And the games are a terrible spectacle up there most of the time because there is heavy humidity. When it is raining, you expect the ball to be wet, you can adjust a little bit, but the heavy dew or the heavy humidity like Darwin, [which] I put in the same category, they are terrible spectacles because the playing conditions are poor.' Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania have both raised concerns about the design of the proposed stadium's roof, pointing to the potential for shadows that would negatively affect playing conditions and broadcast quality. Regardless of the state election, the Devils were likely to have split their home matches between the existing stadium in Hobart, Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval), and Launceston in their first season in 2028. But the latest political drama, complete with split public support for the stadium, could mean the project is delayed even further. Brisbane Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan, a proud Tasmanian, said it was important the state galvanised to ensure the team – and stadium – went ahead. 'Sometimes I just shake my head about what happens in Tasmania. This is probably the best bid there has been for a team, [there's been] so much work done. It feels so close, but still feels a little bit too far away for my liking,' Fagan said on Saturday. 'Hopefully all the political stuff will settle down and Tasmanians will band together, particularly from a political sense, and get the team up and going.' Blues blow: Walsh out with foot injury Scott Spits Desperate to keep their finals hopes alive, the Blues have been hit with another brutal injury blow, with star midfielder Sam Walsh sidelined for up to six weeks with a foot injury. The Blues said the 24-year-old Walsh reported foot soreness after training on Friday, but in a welcome relief for the club's faithful, Carlton said there was no fracture in the foot and Walsh would not need surgery. 'During yesterday's main training session, Walsh reported foot soreness and has subsequently undergone a series of scans and consultation over the last 24 hours,' the Blues said in a statement on Saturday. 'The extent of the issue has been confirmed this morning, ruling Walsh out of the trip to Perth and the coming weeks,' the Blues said. 'The club can confirm there is no fracture in the foot, therefore no surgery is required, however a period of recovery is now needed to allow the injury to settle.' Michael Voss' side – 11th on the ladder heading into round 14 but with top-end talent on every line – has won just two of its past five games. The Blues now face upcoming clashes against Collingwood, the Brisbane Lions, Melbourne and potentially Hawthorn without one of their most influential midfielders. The Blues have earmarked Walsh to return in either round 19 or 20, making their clashes with West Coast, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide in their next three matches even more significant. Carlton's form line is patchy at best, having struggled to overcome an injury ravaged Essendon in round 13 and lost to the inconsistent Giants and Swans in the two matches prior to their round 12 bye. Loading 'Sam was unable to complete yesterday's main training session after reporting soreness in his foot, with further examination confirming a hot spot in his foot,' Carlton's general manager of football, Brad Lloyd, said about Walsh's injury status. 'Given he does not require surgery, Sam will aim to return to the side in just over a month.' The Blues have already lost Nic Newman (knee), No.3 draft pick Jagga Smith (knee) and Brodie Kemp (Achilles) for the rest of the season, while Coleman medallist Harry McKay will miss his second straight match due to knee soreness when the Blues face the Eagles on Sunday night (AEST) at Optus Stadium. The Eagles have made three changes from the team that lost to North Melbourne by 10 points last week. Tom McCarthy, the No.1 pick from the mid-season rookie draft, has been named for his AFL debut, while Clay Hall and Bailey Williams return to the side. Meanwhile, five-time All-Australian and 2018 premiership star Jeremy McGovern faces an anxious wait after fronting the AFL's concussion panel. McGovern hasn't played since being concussed in the round eight loss to Melbourne on May 3, and the concussion panel will decide whether he can continue his decorated 197-game career.
The Age
14-06-2025
- The Age
Essendon v Geelong LIVE: Bombers, Cats face off at the MCG as Saturday AFL action continues
Latest posts 3.45pm Matthews says Tasmanian dew adds to roof argument By Jon Pierik AFL great Leigh Matthews says Friday night's clash in Launceston was a poor spectacle because of heavy dew and reinforced why a new stadium in Hobart needs to have a roof. Hawthorn defeated Adelaide by three points in a cliffhanger in the first Friday night game at UTAS Stadium, but there were only 11 combined goals between the sides in conditions where it was, at times, difficult to handle the ball. A vote on a new $975 million, 23,000-seat stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart has been delayed because of a snap state election on July 19, but Matthews says – should it go ahead – it must have a roof. Launceston games are usually played on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but the Hawks' game against the Crows was played under lights on Friday night, which brought the dew into play. Where does your club rank on wins against top eight sides? 3.44pm Good afternoon G'day everyone and welcome to our AFL Saturday live blog. I'm Roy Ward and I'll be tapping the keys today and tonight as we follow Essendon vs Geelong at 4.15pm AEST and then North Melbourne vs Fremantle at 7.35pm AEST. We will also cover off on the result and reactions from the Brisbane vs GWS Giants clash in Brisbane.
The Advertiser
10-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Playing in the snow: a taste of winter wonderland for Aussie Ark animals
SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather.
