With an ever expanding population, largely due to two
fantastic breeding seasons, we are inin the process of building new FREs (free
range enclosures) to accommodate this year’s joeys and senescent founders
(aging devils).
Last year 26 young were born at the Ark and this year as
many as 40 little joeys have been seen. This is a fantastic! and the highest
breeding result for a captive facility holding Tasmanian devils.
Our population has grown from 44 founders to 120 residents;
we have a target figure of 360 by 2016 and hope to house as many Devils as 1000
at full capacity.
However, more animals mean we require more free range
enclosures (FREs) to house them. So we need to increase our enclosures from 9
to 13 FREs – ranging in size from 2 - 4.4h.
Construction started mid-October, with Central Coast Fencing, Ellerston machine
operators and a team of builders from our primary sponsor The Australian
Reptile Park braving mountain conditions to get the job done.
Some of our construction crew have been living on site in
demountable homes and using camping equipment for eating and showering....I
know what you’re thinking...and yes we do have a porto-loo!
In the short time workers have been at the Ark a new fence
lines have been cleared dug and constructed, mounds where the devils will call
home have been constructed and the site for our Interpretation Centre has been
cleared.
Three of our new FREs will be used as crèche yards to house our new additions from
this year. A crèche yard is kinda like a pre-school for little devils, where
they can interact and learn much needed behaviours - such as social feeding,
establishing a pecking order with other devils and other enrichment such as
climbing and foraging for insects and other natural small food items. Previous crèche
yards have proven very successful and a lot of natural wild behaviours have
been observed.
Our new senescent FRE is kind of like a retirement home for old devils. In the
wild, being such a competitive animal, they only have a life span of 5-6 years
on average and don’t die of old age; instead they die of starvation or even
predation by other devils … remember a devils’ life is all about survival of
the fittest!
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mound for devil den |
But in captivity they can live to be 8-9 and like all aging
animals (ourselves included) are effected by a range of ailments, the most
common being eye cataracts and arthritis in the hips! The older devils would be
bullied by the younger ones and as our duty of care, a separate FRE will
accommodate our aging original founders...We’re certain they have earned it!
We’re constantly being asked by people if they can visit and
by early next year, this will be a reality. We are building an interpretative
centre which will make for an exciting opportunity to visit Devil Ark on
advertised dates during the year.
Our education centre will be very interactive, and give our visitors the chance
to understand the terrible disease effecting the Tasmanian wild population,
showing a timeline of the disease and helping to better understand how it has
spread, information on devils in general and why Devil Ark is so important to
the preservation not only of this species, but to ensure that animals breed and
housed here will be suitable for a long term plan return to the wild.
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the site of our information centre |
In general the biggest problems we will face during
construction is the weather, fingers crossed so far it has been great, with
long sunny days. (except for that snow dump a few weeks back!)
But when it rains here it rains hard, and the ground turns
to mud, just look back at our construction photos in 2011! If all goes to plan
construction will be finished by the new year and we hope our Interpretation
centre will be open soon after.
Devil Ark is only going to get bigger and bigger and we
thank that various people who have donated time, equipment and made
donations...we wouldn’t be here without you.