A two-year-old Tasmanian devil from a conservation program has disappeared from its quarantine enclosure—CCTV captured highly unusual behavior before its disappearance
Intensive Manhunt Underway for Missing Tasmanian Devil at Gold Coast Park
Paradise Country, a theme park on the Gold Coast, is currently mobilizing all resources to locate Mary, a two-year-old Tasmanian devil from a conservation program, after she unexpectedly leaped from her quarantine enclosure in the early hours of June 2.
A Mysterious Disappearance Based on security footage, Mary made her escape shortly after 4:00 a.m. Lauren Mousley, the park’s curator of native and exotic wildlife, noted that the method of her escape remains “a bit of a mystery”. She hypothesized: “At the moment we do think that an abnormally large leap has happened and that’s how she’s breached out of her quarantine area”.
This incident has stunned experts, as Mary is known to be a shy animal that typically bunkers down when there is movement, rather than venturing out.
Relentless Search Efforts Following the discovery of her absence during a routine check at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the park immediately activated emergency protocols. Mousley stated: “We’ve got internal procedures to deal with unlikely events like animal escapes, and we were able to trigger those response teams pretty well immediately”.
A large-scale search operation has been launched, involving wildlife teams, sniffer dogs, and thermal imaging drones, with additional support from the Queensland Police and the organization Wildcare. Despite an extensive overnight search, Mary remained missing as of Wednesday morning.
Public Safety Advisory Paradise Country has issued a warning to residents in the Kopps Rd area: if Mary is spotted, do not attempt to approach or catch her. Mousley explained: “Devils can be reactive if they are provoked or if anyone attempts to catch them, so please call Wildcare”.
Mary and her companion, Mavka, are vital participants in a conservation initiative for Tasmanian devils—a carnivorous marsupial species native to Tasmania that is currently endangered due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease. While search efforts continue, Paradise Country has resumed operations and reopened to visitors on Wednesday.
