The Tasmanian devil has not lived on the Australian mainland in over 3,000 years, but it is back. Conservation groups on Australia's east coast released a group of 26 of the devils. They put them in a large nature reserve north of Sydney. The Tasmanian devil is the size of a small dog. It eats large birds and household waste. It has been endangered for decades after an Australian wild dog wiped them out on the mainland. The devil gets its name from its high-pitched sound and the fierce way it fights for food. It has a scary-sounding name, but experts say it is not a danger to humans.
A conservation group worked on the project to release the Tasmanian devils. They are on a nature reserve to help their chances of survival. They have to find their own food and survive by themselves. The group's president told National Geographic: "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."