16 January 07
Project Ark is by far the most important consevation program in the Reptile Park's history and is committed to its success. The park has the largest collection of devils on the mainland, with a total of 26. Each devil has it own pen with nineteen adults adults and this year's seven babies.

Last year’s importation of 11 devils from Tasmania is of great significance to the program because the locality from where they were caught, Narawnatpu National Park on the eastern side of the island, became infected with DFTD 3 months ago. This genetic line may now hang with the success of the Reptile Park's breeding program with these founder animals.

An outline about Project Ark:

A captive breeding “insurance” population was established by DPIW and ARAZPA (Australasian Association of Zoos and Aquariums) early in 2005, with over 70 animals from two shipments being sent to six approved wildlife institutions on the mainland in NSW, QLD, Victoria and SA.

Jonathan Wilcken, former ARAZPA Executive Director stated "ARAZPA is co-ordinating a breeding program to act as an insurance against further, catastrophic declines in the wild. If needed, animals bred from this program will be released to Tasmania to help re-establish the species in the wild."

He continued to say "Australian Reptile Park is at the forefront of a concerted effort by Australian zoos to secure the future of the Tasmanian devil. This is a species of enormous importance, its wild population has plummeted in recent years due to a facial tumor disease and we are working closely with the Tasmanian Government to ensure that Australia doesn't lose this iconic species."

The insurance population has been gathered from areas of Tasmania where there has been no evidence of the facial tumor disease that is spreading throughout the state. Animals within the insurance population currently meet the established criteria as low risk and are suitable for being moved interstate.

History of the disease:

1) Devil Facial Tumour Disease is a transmissible cancer that is not being recognised by the immune system of devils it is infecting.

2) Monitoring in the field is showing no sign of the disease petering out and with no signs of recovery.

3) The disease has been recorded at 60 different locations in the wild which represents 59 per cent of the State, with a 53% decline in the wild devil population since the emergence of the disease a decade ago.

Latest research
• The proportion of animals displaying signs at any one site reached up to 83 per cent of trapped adults.
• In the region where DFTD signs were first reported, average spotlighting sightings declined by 80 per cent from 1993-1995 to 2001-2003.
• Analysis of spotlighting data indicated there was a 41 per cent decline in average sightings across the State from 1992-95 to 2002-2005.

You can help support this vital breeding program by adopting a Tasmanian devil at the Australian Reptile Park. For more information on adoption call reception on 4340 1022.