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Save the Tasmanian Devil JUNE 2010 — ISSN 1833-4954 SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL. FREE NEWSLETTER 2 Taking a 6 Our 6 Monster cautious devil appeal approach doctor Why Maria Island? A preliminary Environmental Risk Assessment INSURING A determined there were no indications that devils would significantly impact threatened flora and fauna. Other reasons LONG-TERM include the island’s proximity, as well as the fact that it is managed solely by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, FUTURE allowing ease of access and management. By ANDREW SHARMAN Island translocations have proved Manager, Save the Tasmanian Devil control over breeding selection, but the successful elsewhere in the world, Program big pay-off is that the devils retain more particularly in New Zealand. Closer of their wild behaviours than is achievable to home, there have been at least o insure the Tasmanian devil against in typical zoo pens. The first FRE, on two successful island translocations Textinction, and to provide a potential Tasmania’s east coast, is 12ha. We’ve recently documented in Australia. One source of disease-free animals for release already had breeding success in that FRE, is the introduction of northern quolls to to the wild, the Save the Tasmanian Devil and work has begun on three larger (20- offshore islands in the Northern Territory Program has been building an Insurance 30ha) FREs. as a conservation response to cane toads. Population. The second is the introduction of a Semi-wild populations of devils can be breeding population of the endangered Our 50-year plan is to maintain a secured on islands, or virtual islands, dibblers to Escape Island, in Western disease-free population that is genetically where they are isolated from the Australia. representative of the species, and disease by fences or water. A range of also allows devils to retain their wild potential sites around the State is being People are understandably cautious when behaviours. We’re working towards this investigated by the Program, including it comes to introducing wild animals to goal by setting up a number of secure large-scale fenced areas (many hundreds a landscape that’s outside their natural populations across various sites, which are of hectares) and offshore islands. range. It is generally only considered generally managed in one of three ways… feasible when a species’ normal habitat is The Program is currently investigating threatened. Sadly, the spread of the Devil Intensively managed captive populations the potential to use Maria Island as a Facial Tumour Disease across mainland are kept in typical zoo pens (both in translocation site. The Maria Island Tasmania means that the devil is today Tasmania as well as on the Australian Translocation Project comprises three one such candidate. mainland). This approach is tried and aspects that will be carried out over the tested and has produced lots of joeys. It next 12 months. First, a natural values It is important that before we take gives us maximum control over which and environmental impact assessment this step we carefully consider the males mate with certain females, helping including baseline surveys will inform environmental consequences and put in to preserve the genetic diversity of the whether or not it is appropriate to release place programs to monitor the devils and population. devils onto Maria Island. The second and their impact. I don’t want this column third aspects involve the release of devils to make it sound like we have all the Free Range Enclosures (FREs) are much on the island and ongoing post-release answers. We simply don’t! But we do have larger than zoo pens. FREs give less monitoring and management. a commitment to finding them. 1 SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL PROGRAM NEWSLETTER OFFSHORE ISLANDS Islands provide a barrier to the transmission of DFTD. Devils that live A CAUTIOUS on islands require less management, so the animals retain their wild APPROACH behaviours. autious is the word that best describes “The aim of the Program is to save the Cthe Save the Tasmanian Devil Tasmanian devil as a functioning wild ANSWERS AS WELL Program’s approach to the Maria Island species,” Drew said. “This means a Translocation Project. population of animals that requires only AS SANCTUARY little management, and can one day be The Program hopes to release devils on returned to the wild.” he Program’s mission is to maintain the island national park over the next Tthe Tasmanian devil as an ecologically 12 months. Various factors are being “We need to be sure that we have animals functioning species in the ecosystem. The investigated, including the timing, in the ‘bank’ that have retained their wild Maria Island Translocation Project will numbers, source of animals and release behavioural traits. Islands may be just the provide a unique opportunity to really technique. right investment”. understand what being a ‘functioning species’ means for Tasmanian devils. Wildlife biologist Drew Lee said the We know that devils perform important initial stages of services in the ecosystem. These include this project are the removal of carcasses and sick and an information- injured animals, which can help reduce gathering process. the incidence of disease for livestock and It’s the first step wildlife alike. towards realising the long-term goal We know that their presence can help of using islands reduce overgrazing by prey species, as disease-free such as wallabies. This helps to prevent sanctuaries. a negative cascading effect, which could see the decline of plant species and the “We’re trying The Maria Island Translocation Project will allow the Program to wildlife that depends on them. to get as much monitor the impact of devils on other species, such as wedge-tailed information as eagles. PHOTO: Jackie Smith We think that devils probably suppress possible before we feral animals such as cats and foxes go ahead with any full-scale translocation. through preying on their young and There are still many unknowns, but this is through direct competition for resources, our chance to learn.” but so far this is based on anecdotal MARIA ISLAND evidence. Monitoring teams are currently surveying all aspects of the Maria Island landscape, Maria Island lies off the east What we don’t know is the critical point including wildlife and heritage sites, in coast of Tasmania, accessed by a at which devil numbers decline so low order to determine the island’s natural short ferry trip. Roughly 20km that these services are no longer relevant values. There’s a particular interest in the in length, the entire Island is in the ecosystem. This situation, for species that may be devil prey, as well as today a National Park – although instance, may already be playing out in other carnivores that may compete for its history includes convict places like Mt William and Freycinet food. settlements, farming enterprises National Parks where Devil Facial Tumour and a cement factory. Other Disease has had the greatest impact. This work will continue after the devils native species introduced to are released, allowing the Program to the Island include brush-tailed “Sometimes the answers to these sorts of detail and manage any population changes possums, common wombats, questions can’t be found without acting that occur in devils and other species. Bennetts wallabies, Forester on an applied level. This Project will The information gained will help us in kangaroos and Cape Barren add to existing knowledge and provide assessing other islands as possible sites for geese. answers that can only come from practical future translocations. application,” said wildlife biologist Phil Wise. 2 SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL PROGRAM NEWSLETTER JUNE 2010 FREE-RANGE ENCLOSURES These large-scale areas, enclosed by a double fence, are based on a THREE MORE minimal management approach so that devils retain their wild behaviours. ENCLOSURES At the same time, there’s a degree of control over breeding. ork on a further three Free Range Double fences, designed by wildlife TECHNOLOGY, WEnclosures (FREs) has begun at experts and fencing contractors, are being sites in the north and east of Tasmania, constructed to prevent animals moving NOT HANDS complementing the Bicheno FRE that was in or out of the enclosures – even to stop opened in 2008. contact through the barrier. echnology could be the key to T‘keeping it wild’ for the Tasmanian The three new sites will allow for an “FREs are somewhere in the middle devils within the Free Range Enclosures expansion of the free-range component between intensively-managed populations (FREs). of the Insurance Population. They will and semi-wild island populations,” David also provide the Save the Tasmanian said, “and that’s what makes them so Yes – this statement sounds like a Devil Program with the chance to refine special. contradiction. But wildlife biologist Dr management actions and ideas, said David Sinn said the current focus for wildlife biologist Dr David Sinn. “FREs accept the ethos that devils these enclosures involves finding ways to need to be able to survive in the wild. remotely sensor the animals’ welfare. It’s “The most exciting thing is that we Insurance Population animals need to be hoped that this hands-off approach will can now explore and compare varying maintained, potentially for a long period further allow these animals to retain their approaches,” David said. of time, in a way that allows them to one wild-devil traits. day be reintroduced into the landscape. “Some of the questions raised include the “We’re trying to balance our commitment number of devils we put in the enclosures, “At the same time we’ve retained some to the welfare of these Insurance the ratio between the sexes, and the role control over who mates with whom, as Population devils with the goal of of varying habitats.
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