6,000 Penguins Wiped Out From Australian Island After Tasmanian Devils Were Reintroduced

The Tasmanian devil has had a difficult time in the last 30 years, with the growth of a contagious type of cancer known as devil facial tumor (DFT) disease pushing the population to the edge. As a result, multiple techniques have been attempted to try to save the species.

Recent research from BirdLife Tasmania appears to indicate that one strategy has wreaked havoc on an entirely other animal, according to Wionews.

Little penguins may be found on the beaches of Australia and New Zealand. These two countries are all too aware of the catastrophic potential of imported species due to their ground-nesting bird populations.

Possums were intentionally introduced into New Zealand in 1837 in the hopes of establishing the fur trade. Still, instead of enriching the country's biodiversity, they preyed on native species such as the iconic kiwi and competed for burrows with little penguins.

Devils vs Penguins

The harm posed by Tasmanian devils to tiny penguins is much greater than that posed by possums and domestic cats, who are also fond of disturbing these small birds. Not only the penguins are suffering as a result of the devils' human-assisted invasion, according to Woehler.

He stated, "We're seeing tales of geese attempting to nest in trees to evade devil predation." "It is obvious that the devils have had a disastrous ecological impact on Maria Island's avian fauna."

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