Tasmanian devils settle into new homes at Auckland Zoo

Two Tasmanian devil ambassadors have been welcomed to their new homes in New Zealand.

Minister for Parks and Environment, Nick Duigan, said two-year-old sisters Krill and Jellyfish are making their own home now at Auckland Zoo.

“Following health checks, on September 3 our Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program transferred Krill and Jellyfish to Auckland Zoo where they will join male Nita,” Minister Duigan said.

“Leading up to the export, our NRET team provided an Auckland Zoo carnivore keeper from training at the Cressy Wildlife Facility on how to handle the devils and learn more about the species.

“Krill and Jellyfish’s genes are well represented in the Tasmanian Devil Insurance Population, therefore they were not required for breeding as a guard against the species extinction.”

The Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program, established in 2013, has an important advocacy and educational role which complements broader devil conservation efforts.

The Program involves zoos from New Zealand, Japan, Europe, Singapore, and the United States of America.

“The Tasmanian Government remains committed to protecting our unique species, and our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future provides ongoing funding to continue the Save the Devil Program,” said Minister Duigan.

“Congratulations to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Auckland Zoo and everyone involved in this successful export and all the best to Krill and Jellyfish with settling in at their new homes in Auckland Zoo.”

The Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program is supported by the Save the Devil Program which focuses on robust long-term monitoring of wild devils, managing and mitigating threats, and working with the Australasian Zoo and Aquarium Association and its members to optimise genetic diversity of captive devil populations.

This export takes the international Tasmanian devil population to 54.