'Unstable' Tasmanian Devil Found After 15 Days on the Run

A Tasmanian devil named Mary has been found after a 15-day escape from her enclosure at the Paradise Country park on Queensland's Gold Coast. The carnivorous marsupial was discovered in an "unstable condition" by searchers less than two kilometers from the park.

Park officials stated that upon finding Mary, the team immediately assessed her condition and determined she required 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.

An intensive search effort was mounted for Mary, involving a dozen wildlife experts, a sniffer dog, and a thermal-imaging drone. Her escape on June 2nd was partly captured on CCTV footage. The park believes Mary embarked on her 15-day adventure following an "abnormally large leap" from her enclosure.

Tasmanian devils are agile, mostly nocturnal animals native to the island state of Tasmania. They have been extinct on the Australian mainland for over 3,000 years. While they can live up to six years in the wild, they are listed as endangered due to threats like Devil Facial Tumor Disease. Males can weigh up to 14 kilograms and stand 30 centimeters tall at the shoulder.

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Upon finding her, Mary was in an unstable condition, and the team assessed and determined she required veterinary care and rushed her to a specialist veterinary hospital where they were able to stabilize her condition.