Joeys Born in Barrington Tops

NEW Tasmanian Devil Joeys were discovered by staff at the Aussie Ark Conservation last Thursday when keepers completed routine pouch checks.

The newborns have arrived alongside the first snowfall at the Barrington Tops with 26 Joeys confirmed so far.

See the photos below.

“Each year, pouch checking is such a special and thrilling process and this year being paired with the first snowfall for the season made it extra special,” said Aussie Ark President, Tim Faulkner.

The Aussie Ark breeding program currently includes more than 50 percent of the mainland insurance population of Tasmanian devils.

“We are extremely lucky to be able to witness first-hand the circle of life of the Tasmanian devils and the growth of these joeys –now crucial members of their species’ insurance population,” said President Faulkner.

Aussie Ark keeper, Kelly Davis stressed the importance of the pouch checks which ensures the success of the breeding program.

“They’re facing a lot of issues in the wild, particularly devil facial tumor disease which dropped their numbers a lot so our conservation program is really important in boosting those numbers,” said Kelly.

“With our current number of breeding females, we could be expecting anywhere over 60 joeys for this year and we can’t wait to find out what the total number will be,” she said. 

The staff at Aussie Ark have reported the joeys are all strong and healthy.