The Tasmanian Government has renewed it plea to motorists to take care on the roads and look out for devils.
The Tasmanian devil is already under threat from facial tumour disease, the last thing we need to do is put further strain on this iconic Tasmanian species through avoidable deaths on our roads.
It is extremely disappointing that since yesterday another two devils that were recently released on the Forestier Peninsula have been run over. That means four of the 39 healthy devils released just last week have been killed. In most circumstances roadkill deaths are entirely preventable if drivers just slow down.
It is important to point out that the two release trials are showing encouraging results. But as a community we must do more to ensure that the healthy devils released into the wild are given the best possible chance to survive and help rebuild the wild population.
The Government is doing everything it can to protect these devils, but if motorists refuse to heed the message we will continue to see more deaths occur. I share the frustrations of so many scientists in Tasmania and around the world who are working on saving the devil only to see their hard work affected by deaths which in most circumstances are entirely avoidable.
Tasmanian devils are scavengers and they are often attracted to roadkill, which ultimately increases their chances of becoming roadkill themselves.
For the sake of the devil, if you see roadkill, slow down. If you're driving in an area where devils have been released, particularly the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas, slow down. If you're driving between dusk and dawn, slow down. If you see a devil, slow down.
While it's unfortunately inevitable that some devils will be run over, we are all responsible for helping the devil population to recover and I again urge motorists to play their part.
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