Devils on the Rise

Beware!   (Photo by Peter Shanks) 

Imagine being an early European settler in Tasmania.

Suddenly you hear a blood-curdling screech from the nearby bush.  This is coupled with a series of “coughs and growls.”  After summoning enough courage to investigate, you discover a canine-like creature with “red ears, wide jaws and big sharp teeth.”

Since no dog ever looked, sounded or smelled like this, you figure it must be the devil himself. The name stuck:  Tasmanian Devil.

For a long time, the population of Devils dwindled.  But lately, it’s been on the rise.  These predators are now returning to the Australian mainland, thanks to those who are giving the Devils their due.    

Resources

https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/fauna-of-tasmania/mammals/carnivorous-marsupials-and-bandicoots/tasmanian-devil#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20Tasmanian%20devil%20(Sarcophilus,call%20it%20%22The%20Devil%22

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-special-kind-of-baby-boom-tasmanian-devils-born-in-mainland-australia-for-first-time-in-3000-years/ar-AAKpuVR?ocid=uxbndlbing

Copyright May 29, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved