It’s Sporty the Devil’s Birthday

DEVIL Ark is celebrating this week with the first birthday of Sporty, one of Devil Ark’s cheekiest Tasmanian devils.

Sporty was named after one of Devil Ark’s Project Partners, the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc.

Sporty, the Tasmanian Devil. Photography courtesy of Devil Ark.

General Manager of Devil Ark, Tim Faulkner noted the significance of Sporty’s birthday.

“Not only is Sporty one of our most boisterous animals, he is such an important member of the Devil Ark family as he shows the success of sponsors supporting our initiative,” Tim Falkner said.

“Organisations like Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, NSW, Inc ensure the continuation of our important work and give hope to the Tasmanian devil as a species.

“Sporty’s first birthday also coincides with the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, NSW, Inc’s second year of continued support for Devil Ark by giving the organisation $135,000 assisting in costs related to the care of our Tasmanian devil population.

“The organisation has also stepped up support in 2017, and now also give ‘on the ground’ support by volunteering for works at Devil Ark, to assist the not for profit in continued site improvements,” said Tim Faulkner.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, NSW, Inc Executive Director Diana Melham is concerned with conservation of the Tasmanian Devil.

“What makes the partnership special is the important role both organisations plays in conservation,” said Diana Melham.

“Responsible wildlife management is all about protecting our environment and that includes the conservation of endangered wildlife, ecosystems, and biodiversity which the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, NSW, Inc is committed to.

“Any endangered species is really our collective responsibility in Australia having already lost the Tasmanian tiger, we at Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, New South Wales Inc don’t want to see the Tasmanian devil face the same fate.”

Devil Ark is located at an altitude of 1,350m in the NSW Barrington Tops, the facility is characterised by rainforest and subalpine woodland, providing the perfect breeding environment for devils and is part of a national breeding program to save the species from extinction.

It remains the most successful captive breeding facility for the endangered Tasmanian devil on the mainland starting out in 2011 with 44 founder animals, the facility now holds an impressive 52% of the mainland insurance population being 154 animals.

Currently classified as endangered the Tasmanian devil is under threat from a transmissible disease called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

In Tasmania, the disease has reduced the wild population to less than 90% in some areas and it continues to menace the endangered Tasmanian devil population.

Still with no cure or vaccine in sight and a continuing population decline, insurance programs like Devil Ark continue to be the species’ best hope of long term survival.