I think you can see how excited we were to meet these amazing animals.
Did you know that our Tasmanian Devils are the worlds largest surviving carnivorous marsupial. Yep we have another amazing animal living with us in Australia! How Cool is that!
The devil has a large broad head and very thick short tail. Keepers and scientist use their tail to pick they up by as it is all muscle and doesn’t hurt the animal to be handled in this way. The fur is mostly black, but they do have white markings on their rump and chest area.
Tasmanian devils are wholly protected. The Devil Facial Tumour Disease, which is now having a devastating effect on the Tasmanian devil population was first noticed in the north-east of Tasmania in the mid-1990s but has become are regular sight for the rest of Tasmanian Devils. Which is so sad.
The devastating disease is sweeping through Tasmania’s devil population, killing more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 40-50% in medium-low density areas. In 2012 Maria Island was chosen for the first Tasmanian devil translocation project. Fifteen disease-free Tasmanian devils were released onto the Island to secure an insurance population. See the Save the Tasmanian Devil web site for details.
Queensland Zoo helps to save the Tasmanian Devil, so please make sure you stop by for the keeper talk at 11am each day, where you learn first hand about these amazing animals and even get to pat a devil! Why not spend the $30 to enjoy a close up encounter after the talk. I will tell you it is worth every cent.
But are you ready! Here come the Eastern Quolls!!!!!
The facts are telling us that the eastern quoll could follow the severe population decline of the Tasmanian devil! How sad would that be!
This cute and amazing carnivorous marsupial was once found all over Australia in good numbers. Now very few sightings are seen. They were once found easily at Tasmania, but now even there they are disappearing at a alarming rate! We need to protect this little guy, as not much is know about them, but we do need them!
The Quoll was so soft to touch and look very much like the Tasmanian Devil but smaller. My mum thought she could see a possum look with their cute eyes and pink noses.
In recent years numbers in Tasmania have declined dramatically with no sign of recovery. So we really need to start looking after these animals. If you would like to help please go to http://www.wildlife.org.au/projects/quolls/ to see what you can do. They are searching for stories about the quolls. Any stories from Great Grandad about how they stole the chickens to a sighting you might have thought you have seen while walking in the national parks. Please get in touch. We need to find these wonderful animals to help save them and make sure they are hear to stay with us forever.
I was so impressed with Queensland Zoo. As most of the locals from South East Queensland know the animals are from the old Alma Park Zoo. The owner of that company purchased it from the family in 2000 and just waited for the best time to sell the zoo to the developers.
It took one very gutsy lady, Julie Seabrook, to create a new home for these beautiful animals at Queensland Zoo. Just beside the icon Big Pineapple. With the help of only 8 friends and staff the move was made. I will be supporting this wonderful Zoo and I hope you will too.
You will not find a more loving home for these animals. You can see the animals love their new homes. The Sun Bear was out and about bouncing around his new big enclosure. The Red Panda was out saying Hello to everyone even in the Summer heat. The Lemurs were chatting and the rest of the primates were all out and about saying G’day to everyone that walked by. Please go and visit Queensland Zoo. You can take your whole family (family pass is $70) for the price of an Adult at other zoo’s on the Coast. To learn more or book your encounters please go to http://www.qldzoo.com/zoo-ticket-prices/
So to end of my day here is our family photo is that already hanging in our lounge room to remember Dad’s Birthday at Queensland Zoo.
Thanks for reading. Please share my stories and like me on Facebook or Twitter.