The Tasmanian Devil appears for the first time in 3,000 years in the heart of Australia
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The Tasmanian Devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial mammal, has returned to mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years.
The Tasmanian Devil is an animal about the size of a small dog, and in 2008 its name was included on the United Nations Red List of Endangered Animals.
This animal was made famous by the character Taz in the cartoon series "Looney Tunes".
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, joined environmental groups last month to release 11 Tasmanian devils in a wildlife sanctuary in New South Wales, with more to be released later.
"This is the first time in 3,000 years or so that Tasmanian devils roam the mainland forests," said Tim Faulkner, president of the Aussie Arc environmental group.
The Aussie Arc, which cooperated in this project with other associations, including Global Wildlife Conservation and Wild Ark, has been raising young devils, Tasmania and plans to release 20 more animals from them next year and 20 others in the year after next.
Faulkner said this was a "defining" moment in reforming Australia's ecosystem.
The Tasmanian devils had disappeared from the Australian mainland due to hunting dingo dogs, and their presence was limited to the island of Tasmania.
But their numbers there also decreased dramatically in the 1990s due to a tumor affecting the face.
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