{"id":712073,"date":"2026-06-03T07:12:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/712073\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T07:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:12:17","slug":"tasmanian-devil-mary-caught-on-cctv-escaping-paradise-country-as-search-ramps-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/712073\/","title":{"rendered":"Tasmanian devil Mary caught on CCTV escaping Paradise Country as search ramps up"},"content":{"rendered":"

The urgent search for a missing Tasmanian devil<\/a> has deepened after CCTV showed the endangered marsupial sprinting away from her enclosure at a popular theme park in the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n

Mary is a two-year-old Tasmanian devil who recently arrived at Paradise Country on the Gold Coast<\/a> as part of a conservation program.<\/p>\n

She vanished from her quarantine enclosure sometime before she was discovered missing during routine checks, which were about 7.30am on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: CCTV captures missing Tasmanian devil Mary escaping enclosure as urgent search intensifies<\/p>\n

Security footage reviewed by staff captured the elusive marsupial making a dash across the park grounds shortly after 4am on June 2, sparking a major search involving thermal drones and wildlife crews.<\/p>\n

Paradise Country curator of native and exotic wildlife Lauren Mousley said how Mary escaped remained \u201ca bit of a mystery\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment we do think that an abnormally large leap has happened and that\u2019s how she\u2019s breached out of her quarantine area,\u201d Mousley said. <\/p>\n

\"ParadiseParadise Country curator of native and exotic wildlife Lauren Mousley says Mary\u2019s escape is \u2018extremely unusual\u2019 as the search for the missing Tasmanian devil continues. Credit: Paradise Country\"CCTVCCTV footage shows endangered Tasmanian devil Mary escaping her enclosure at Paradise Country in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Credit: Paradise Country\"TheThe missing Tasmanian devil was one of two young animals that had only recently arrived at the Gold Coast theme park. Credit: Paradise Country<\/p>\n

The park initially shut its gates to visitors on Tuesday as wildlife teams<\/a> combed the property and surrounding bushland for the endangered animal.<\/p>\n

Mousley said the response was launched within minutes of staff realising Mary was gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got internal procedures to deal with unlikely events like animal escapes, and we were able to trigger those response teams pretty well immediately,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe search has been extremely extensive, so we\u2019ve got thermal imaging cameras, we now have sniffer dogs on the trail as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queensland Police<\/a>, Wildcare volunteers and nearby zoo facilities have also joined the operation, while park owner Village Roadshow deployed thermal imaging drones to search through the night.<\/p>\n

Despite an extensive overnight operation involving more than a dozen wildlife staff and drone operators, Mary was still missing on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur priority remains on relocating Mary to ensure her welfare, and we will continue to search the property and are investigating additional resources to assist finding her,\u201d Paradise Country said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The park said locals in the Kopps Rd area should contact Wildcare if they spot the animal and avoid approaching or attempting to catch her.<\/p>\n

\u201cDevils can be reactive if they are provoked or if anyone attempts to catch them, so please call Wildcare,\u201d Mousley said.<\/p>\n

She described the two-year-old devil as a shy young animal whose disappearance had stunned experienced keepers.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally around this age they can be a little bit more adventurous, but we\u2019ve only known her for a short period of time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we do know about her is that she\u2019s extremely shy and when there is movement she tends to bunker down.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo finding that she was the one that headed out is very, very abnormal given her demeanour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TasmanianTasmanian devils are nocturnal marsupials native to Tasmania and are listed as endangered in the wild. Credit: 7NEWS\"WildlifeWildlife teams used thermal imaging drones during an extensive overnight search for missing marsupial. Credit: Paradise Country<\/p>\n

Mousley said Paradise Country\u2019s enclosures met and exceeded Biosecurity Queensland<\/a> standards and incidents like this were \u201cextremely unusual\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in zoo keeping for a very, very long time now and I\u2019ve never had an event like this occur,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mary and fellow Tasmanian devil Mavka had recently arrived at the Gold Coast attraction as part of a broader conservation initiative for the endangered species, which is native to Tasmania<\/a> and not found in the wild on mainland Australia.<\/p>\n

The carnivorous marsupials are known for their powerful jaws, piercing screeches and nocturnal behaviour. <\/p>\n

The species has been devastated by the spread of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and remains endangered in the wild.<\/p>\n

Paradise Country has confirmed the park will reopen to visitors on Wednesday while search efforts continue.<\/p>\n

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