Tasmanian Devil Escapes Gold Coast Theme Park

A Tasmanian devil named Mary has escaped from her enclosure at the Paradise Country theme park on Queensland's Gold Coast. The escape, believed to have occurred due to an unusually large leap, was captured on CCTV cameras showing the animal moving around the deserted park grounds around 4am on Tuesday.

Despite a significant search effort involving a dozen wildlife team members and a drone operator with thermal imaging, Mary has not yet been located as of Wednesday afternoon. The park's curator of animals noted that Mary, who is two years old and new to the facility, is typically very shy, making her escape highly unusual.

Authorities are urging the public not to approach Mary if spotted, as devils can be reactive if provoked. Instead, they are advised to contact Wildcare immediately. Experts also highlighted that while Mary poses little biological risk, the primary concerns for her safety are being killed by a car or attacked by dogs. Discussions around reintroducing Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia were also noted, though this escape is not considered a suitable method for such reintroduction.