Trowunna Wildlife Park is a great experience. They do rescue work with injured animals and they raise young animals who have lost their moms in road accidents. They are also a sanctuary for eastern quolls and devils, both of which are endangered.
Quolls are mole-like animals the size of a cat, with long snouts and polka dots. Seriously. They are either black or tan with big white polka dots. They are shy, but you can watch them slither around and bask in the sun.
You likely think you know what a devil looks like but you would be surprised at how small they are--about the size of a small dog and just as vicious actually. Those red ears? They only look red in the sun and they are nearly transparent. The white collar you see in pictures is sort of typical-- they always have white somewhere, but it varies. Devils have no natural predators--there are no large mammals on the island and marsupials are herbivores--but there is currently an epidemic of a facial cancer that has wiped out most of the population in the wild. Those vicious teeth do make them the toughest guys out there but they are lazy scavengers, picking up road kill or anything they don't have to work to get their teeth into. They'll scrap over the scraps til they nearly kill each other. Our guide coaxed a few out with a chunk of pademelon. While she held firmly on to the ankle with a gloved hand, three different devils tugged away at the thigh meat, grunting and baring their teeth. Picture three pitbulls tugging away at the same stuffed toy, and you are close. We both have great videos of this gruesome scene...for later viewing.
There are hopping marsupials there, and the larger ones run free on the site. Forestier roos mostly. They'll eat out of your hand. Wallabies and pademelons and several small ones whose names I can't remember. Cute as a button.
But the most fun are the wombats. More on wambats later. Time for bed.
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