Eight Tasmanian Devil ambassadors are bound for their new homes across various zoos in the United States of America’s east coast.
Two Tasmanian Devils named Tequila and Tabasco will be at Toledo Zoo, Layna and Tori will be at Columbus Zoo, Mouse and Mozza will be at Saint louis Zoo, and Arya Stark and Valentina will be at Fort Wayne Zoo.
These devils have been sourced from Insurance Population animals held at Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, Devils@Cradle, and Tasmania Zoo.
The devils have received health checks and leading up to the export, keepers from Toledo Zoo travelled to Cressy to work with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania’s team to undertake ongoing training on how to handle the devils and learn more about the species.
The devils are an important part of international relationship-building efforts through the Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program, which was initiated in 2013.
The Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program currently involves 21 zoos across New Zealand, Japan, America, and Europe.