‘Unstable’ Tasmanian devil found after 15 days on the run

A Tasmanian devil named Mary has been located in an "unstable condition" more than two weeks after escaping her enclosure at an Australian wildlife park. The carnivorous marsupial was tracked down by searchers less than 2 kilometers from her home at Paradise Country park on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Park officials stated that upon finding Mary, the team assessed her condition and determined she required immediate veterinary care. She was rushed to a specialist veterinary hospital where her condition was stabilized. The two-year-old devil, described by her keepers as extremely shy, is currently undergoing diagnostic testing at the hospital.

Mary's escape on June 2 gained significant attention, partly due to CCTV footage capturing her breakout. A team of a dozen wildlife experts, aided by a sniffer dog and a thermal-imaging drone, had been searching for the missing animal. The park believes Mary made an "abnormally large leap" to begin her 15-day adventure.

Tasmanian devils are agile, mostly nocturnal animals capable of roaming considerable distances. While they are widespread on the island state of Tasmania, they are listed as endangered. A significant threat to their survival is a transmissible cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The species has been extinct on the Australian mainland for over 3,000 years.