The mention of Tasmanian Devils usually conjures up an image of the Looney Tunes character that spins a vortex of chaos wherever he goes.
In reality, it is a carnivorous marsupial with a body of black fur originating from its namesake, the Australian state of Tasmania.
Thanks to a conservation programme, visitors to the Night Safari can now see four Tasmanian Devils in the flesh.
Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group
The fluffy foursome’s names are Crumpet, Snickers, Jesse, and Panini respectively.
The Night Safari at Mandai introduced its newest additions in an exhibit yesterday (15 Nov).
They will be residing permanently at the Wallaby Trail, an area designated for wildlife from Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea.
Brought here as part of Australia’s Save the Tasmanian Devil Programme (STDP), the Devils are all female and aged around three years old.
A highly contagious cancer among the species has posed a great threat to the marsupials population in the wild.
As such, Crumpet, Snickers, Jesse, and Panini are here to form an insurance population.
Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group
They will live in pairs, with Crumpet forming a duo with Snickers and Jesse with Panini.
Each pair has its own indoor and outdoor spaces to roam, as well as dens for the nocturnal mammals to rest during the daytime.
Due to the threat of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), Tasmanian Devils are currently an endangered species.
Since the disease’s discovery in 1996, their population has declined by at least 80% in diseased areas, which has now spread to most of Tasmania.
Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group
Devils become infected through bites while fighting or mating, leading to large facial tumours that make eating difficult.
As a result, infected Tasmanian Devils often die of starvation.
In response, STDP was set up to establish a resilient wild Devil population that requires only minimal human intervention.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Devils were due to arrive at Night Safari in 2020.
Night Safari’s Animal Care team had travelled to Tasmania in 2019 for training by STDP and Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary.
There, they learned about the Devils’ biology, diet, and ways to manage them safely, including how to feed the carnivorous mammals.
Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group
After the pandemic put a spanner in the works, the teams pivoted to making preparations virtually instead.
Four years after discussions first kicked off in 2018, the Devils finally arrived in Singapore this 7 Oct.
They then carried out 30-day quarantine in an indoor den.
Night Safari keepers learned the ropes of caring for them in the first week of their quarantine.
Following that, the Devils were transferred to their current habitat to acclimatise before their big debut.
As Singapore’s first-ever Tasmanian Devils, Crumpet, Snickers, Jesse, and Panini are set to be the new stars of the Night Safari.
We hope they’ll live happily at Wallaby Trail, and that they can help further their species’ conservation efforts.
Between this and S$10 tickets for Jurong Bird Park, it looks like there’s plenty for wildlife enthusiasts to do this year end.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group.
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