Animal Sanctuary in Australia（在线收听）

Tasmanian Devils, pygmy-possums and native parrots are just some of Australia's threatened species. But thanks to a successful breeding season, one animal sanctuary is optimistic for the future survival of these creatures.

Our reporter Li Dong has the details.

 
The Healesville Sanctuary, north east of the Australian city of Melbourne, has recorded high numbers of births in captivity this year, giving some threatened species a much-needed boost in their population.

The sanctuary conducts captive-breeding programmes for native animals to help maintain dwindling populations. Among the species to benefit are Tasmanian Devils, Helmeted Honey-eaters, dingos and pygmy-possums.

No less than 20 Tasmanian Devil joeys were born at Healesville in the past year.

Sanctuary Director Glen Holland says it's now time to expand the programme:

"We've just has the best year that we've ever had, and we're building on that even further. We're about to build a third phase of the Tasmanian Devil enclosures."

Tasmanian Devils have come under threat in recent years due to a Facial Tumor Disease, which has spread throughout their native state.

Threatened Species Keeper Tammika McIvor says the sanctuary plays a big part in their preservation:

"Over here, we're a little bit further away from the disease, we have a big body of water in between us and we're able to keep quarantine very strong."

Dr Melanie Lancaster is from the Australian Threatened Species Association. She says devil-breeding programs are vital to building populations:

"Our captive breeding programs are really one of the last hopes for the species survival. So if something should happen to these small populations that we have in the wild, we still have an insurance population here that we can breed back up and release back into the wild."

But these little devils aren't fleeing the nest just yet. Tammika McIvor says they too have an important role to play:

"Once they're weaned they'll live their first year growing up and learning how to be a devil. And then in their second year they'll go into the breeding programme and have a partner selected for them."

If the joeys weren't cute and cuddly enough, Healesville has also birthed a record 38 mountain pygmy-possums, and 23 orange-bellied parrots.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.