Story perspectives

Queensland Deploys Drones, Dogs to Find Escaped Devil Mary

6/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Queensland deployed drones, sniffer dogs, police and volunteers to locate the escaped devil.
Mary, a two-year-old devil, escaped from Paradise Country wildlife park on the Gold Coast three days ago.
Al Mucci said Mary may be within a kilometre of the park, possibly hiding near a log or dog kennel.
With fewer than 25,000 devils left in Tasmania and none on the mainland, Wildcare Australia joined police to protect wildlife.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 the Tasmanian government and the University of Tasmania funded a A$12 million disease-management program for the Tasmanian devil. The 19th-century bounty scheme that paid 2,184 bounties for thylacines between 1888 and 1909 and the human-introduced marsupi-carnivore disease that drove the thylacine extinct illustrate human pressure on carnivores. Queensland Police and Paradise Country now use drones and dogs on the Gold Coast to locate devils.

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Story summary

Queensland deployed drones, sniffer dogs, police and volunteers to locate the escaped devil.
Mary, a two-year-old devil, escaped from Paradise Country wildlife park on the Gold Coast three days ago.
Al Mucci said Mary may be within a kilometre of the park, possibly hiding near a log or dog kennel.
With fewer than 25,000 devils left in Tasmania and none on the mainland, Wildcare Australia joined police to protect wildlife.

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