In Hobart, wildlife vet Sarah Peck, Phil Wise and their team have come up with a plan to ensure an ‘insurance population’ of disease-free Devils. They’ll live wild on a remote island location away from contagion on Maria Island off Tasmania’s east coast. A team of scientists and zoologists have been putting Tasmanian Devils through a variety of tests to see if they have what it takes to fend for themselves living in the wild.
The animals are sent to an isolation centre in Hobart where scientists assess the way they behave. To be able to survive in the wild, they need to shy away from human contact but also remain curious about their surroundings.
The Tasmanian devils take a look around their new home on Maria Island following their release.
The devils have to cope with a really hot summer and some of the hottest days ever on record. Instead of staying cool in a burrow, the devils are lying around in the hot sun. Reba, who’s never killed anything in her life, is loosing weight. As the streams dry up, the devils are forced to roam further in search of fresh water.
Around four months after releasing the fifteen Tasmanian devils on remote Maria Island, the scientists get some disturbing news, but things improve as the females get ready to mate for the first time.
The future looks bright for the Tasmanian devils as all eight females prepare to have joeys, making the scientific project a resounding success. As devil facial tumour disease continues to ravage the population a few miles away on the mainland, Reba, Remmy and the others give new hope the species can be saved.
