Two young Tasmanian devils have embarked on a new adventure to New Zealand, becoming the latest ambassadors for their species at Auckland Zoo.
Two-year-old sisters Krill and Jellyfish left their home at the Save the Devil Program’s Cressy Wildlife Facility on September 3rd and have since settled into their new enclosure in Auckland, where they will join male devil Nita.
Tasmanian Environment Minister Nick Duigan said the devils’ relocation is part of the Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program, established in 2013 to complement broader devil conservation efforts.
“Krill and Jellyfish’s genes are well represented in the Tasmanian Devil Insurance Population, therefore they were not required for breeding as a guard against the species extinction,” he said.
The Ambassador Program involves zoos from New Zealand, Japan, Europe, Singapore and the United States, providing a safety net for the species against devil facial tumour disease (DFTD).
Save the Devil Program staff provided training for an Auckland Zoo carnivore keeper at the Cressy Wildlife Facility on how to handle devils and care for the species before the devils’ export.
The latest export brings the international Tasmanian devil population to 54.
