The Tasmanian devil has not lived on Australia's mainland for 3,000 years, but it is back. Conservation groups released a group of 26 of the devils in a nature reserve north of Sydney. The Tasmanian devil is the size of a small dog. It eats large birds and household waste. It became endangered after an Australian wild dog wiped them out on the mainland. It gets its name from its high-pitched sound and the fierce way it fights for food. It is not a danger to humans.
A conservation group helped to release the Tasmanian devils. They have to find their own food. The group's president said: "They are free....We've got some basic means of keeping an eye on them, but essentially, now it's over to the devils to do what they do." He was hopeful about the future of the devils. He said: "This release of devils will be the first of many. We are talking about something monumental, a true landmark in history."