Mary the Tasmanian Devil has taken her first steps back into her nocturnal habitat at Paradise Country, marking a major milestone after her two-week stint in the wild.
Since returning to the park in June following her daring escape, Mary has undergone a long and challenging road to recovery under the care of the wildlife team.
Paradise Country Curator of Wildlife Lauren Mousley said that Mary has defied the odds and made phenomenal progress.
“It has been a long road to recovery for Mary, but we are incredibly pleased to see her back exploring this nocturnal habitat so confidently,” she said.
The next phase of her rehabilitation will involve a slow introduction to the park’s other resident Tasmanian devil, Mavka.
“Mary’s welfare is our priority, and she will now spend a period getting familiar with the nocturnal environment before being slowly reintroduced to Mavka, with this process already commencing positively through the exchanging of scents,” Mousley said.
“Our team have been so dedicated in supporting Mary throughout her recovery and it was amazing to see their reactions when she took her first steps back into the habitat.”
Once Mary has fully settled and the transition is complete, Paradise Country hopes to reopen the nocturnal habitat so guests can visit both Mary and Mavka.
“While Mary navigates this stage of her recovery, the nocturnal habitat will remain closed, but we hope it isn’t too much longer before we can welcome guests back into this space to see Mary and Mavka.”
