A Gold Coast wildlife theme park has reopened after closing its gates to search for a missing Tasmanian devil named Mary, but the young marsupial is still nowhere to be found.
Mary is one of two Tasmanian devils that recently arrived at Paradise Country in Oxenford, 25 minutes from Surfers Paradise.
Staff noticed she was missing from a secure indoor quarantine habitat during routine morning checks on Monday.
The habitat has access to a small outdoor area, but wildlife teams found no sign of damage or structural issues that would explain how Mary got out.
A dozen wildlife staff searched the grounds overnight using thermal imaging equipment, drones and security footage.
The search focused on evening hours when Tasmanian devils are most active, but there has been no sighting of Mary.
A Village Roadshow Theme Parks spokesperson said the park temporarily closed on Tuesday as a precaution.
“The welfare of the animals in our care is our highest priority, and our habitats are specifically designed to ensure the safety and security of each species,” the spokesperson said.
“Incidents of this nature are extremely rare.”
The park has reopened and Biosecurity Queensland has been notified because Tasmanian devils are an endangered species not found in the wild on mainland Australia.
The park said it is working closely with relevant authorities and has asked locals to keep an eye out.
“Our priority remains on relocating Mary to ensure her welfare, and we will continue to search the property and are investigating additional resources to assist finding her,” the spokesperson said.
The search across the wider park grounds is continuing.
