The devil you know and the one you don't

Tasmanian Devils are only just surviving here as they have contracted a disease which forms a cancer in their mouth and eventually stops them eating. They have been a little misunderstood and often maligned but after years of hunting and killing them they are now a protected species and lots of people care for them. They are only found in Tasmania having become extinct in Australia some 400 years ago. Now they are doing all they can to make sure the Tasmanian devil does not become extinct like the Tasmanian tiger.

We watched them interact and feed and heard a lot about them from their dedicated carer Paul who knew their characters very well. The smallest male Murray had to be kept separate from the bully women. Winnie and Mary, who always seem to give him a hard time. He however got the choosiest bits of possum and wallaby from the hunter who hunted the meat just for them. They are the oddest little creatures, with pink ears but snouts resembling a small bear and then markings and stripes which are just odd. 

Its good to take a closer look and know what the issues are. One day, god forbid, we might be telling our grandchildren about animals they may never encounter.

On the other hand I have to say I would be keen never to encounter these ones. We were walking in Narawntapu National Reserve.. We had just been on the beach and the estuary and then we turned it to the path which was sandy and on either side short brush which allowed us to  see the wallabies, the kangaroos and the pademelons and then through the melaleucas and the lagoon lots of waders, ducks and pelicans.

Along the path however slithered another fella - I seem to attract them - I wish I knew why.

While not being an expert I think this is a tiger snake which is highly venomous. We saw him slither along the path and the disappear down a hole. At that point I thought best to get away from the forested area and walk near the lagoon- kept saying to my husband who was laughing about it that I could see them everywhere - well I did - I spotted two more. One quite small one which looked like a cow turd sunning itself but another bigger one disappearing in the short grass and then down another hole. You can just about see it's tail in the picture above. That made three tiger snakes in a couple of hours of walking. Needed stiff drink after that ramble.