The Devils’ Taste of Home

Devil Ark, the Tasmanian devil breeding facility in the Barrington Tops, sits at 1,400 metres, so the landscape at Devil Ark perfectly mimics the Tassie Devils’ native Tasmania, ensuring the devils feel right at home through all seasons, even when it snows in winter!

Founder John Weigel, owner of the Australian Reptile Park, built Devil Ark along with founding partners in 2010 to house large numbers of Tassie devils living in natural conditions.

It is a known fact that the species is under threat of extinction from Devil facial tumour disease, (DFTD) an insidious, contagious cancer transmitted by biting. Unfortunately for the devils, they bite frequently when feeding, socialising and mating, so the disease has spread quickly, reducing numbers by a massive 90% in some parts of Tasmania.

Read more in Edition 75 of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine.

Story: Marilyn Collins.  Images: Dean Reid.