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In Search of Devils
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Zoo keeper Nathan Halberstadt is
spending two weeks in Australia working with Tasmanian devils. |
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For 17 years, Tasmanian devils were a highlight of the zoo’s
Australian Adventure exhibit. These rare animals were found in
only a few zoos outside of their native Australia. But Tasmanian
devils are difficult to breed in captivity, and the population
in U.S. zoos began to die off, in part because the Australian
government would not allow exportation of devils to other
countries. So in 2004, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo gained
international fame when we realized that we housed the world’s
last remaining captive Tasmanian devil outside of Australia.
When that devil, named Coolah, died of cancer later that year,
the news made headlines around the world.
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Coolah, seen here in 2003, was the
last Tasmanian devil in the world to live outside of Australia. He died
of cancer at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in 2004. |
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The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is hoping to someday exhibit
Tasmanian devils once again. The Australian government may soon
allow some devils to be exported as insurance against a
declining devil population in Tasmania. To further our knowledge
about Tasmanian devils and help preserve this threatened
species, Fort Wayne zoo keeper Nathan Halberstadt is currently
in Tasmania to participate in a two-week course at Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary. While
there, Halberstadt is learning more about Tasmanian devil handling,
husbandry, and natural history. In fact, Halberstadt was
featured in a Tasmanian news article about the program.
While no one knows when (or if) Tasmanian devils will return to Fort
Wayne, the zoo is proud to participate in efforts to save this unique
animal.
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