{"id":723341,"date":"2026-06-08T16:06:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/723341\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:06:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:06:25","slug":"missing-tasmanian-devil-mary-spotted-roaming-gold-coast-backyards-after-paradise-country-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/723341\/","title":{"rendered":"Missing Tasmanian devil Mary spotted roaming Gold Coast backyards after Paradise Country escape"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mary the missing Tasmanian devil has been caught on camera roaming suburban backyards nearly a week after escaping a Gold Coast<\/a> wildlife park \u2014 with search crews still unable to catch her.<\/p>\n

The elusive marsupial was filmed wandering through a residential driveway about 2km from Paradise Country at Oxenford, where she disappeared on June 2.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Missing Tassie devil Mary caught on camera kilometres from home after Gold Coast escape<\/p>\n

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

The overnight sighting is the clearest sign yet Mary has adapted well to life in the Queensland wild,<\/a> more than 2000km from her native Tasmanian home.<\/p>\n

Locals who first spotted the animal initially thought it was something far less unusual.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a notification on my security camera and checked the footage \u2014 I thought it was a cat,\u201d resident Caitlyn Wis told 7NEWS.<\/p>\n

Neighbour Oliver Tattersfield said he was stunned Mary had ended up so far from Paradise Country.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe travelled a fair way to get here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The sighting was recorded about 2km from the wildlife park, where Mary made her daring escape.<\/p>\n

\"RunawayRunaway Tasmanian devil Mary has been spotted alive and roaming suburban backyards nearly a week after escaping Paradise Country on the Gold Coast. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Security footage previously reviewed by staff captured the endangered marsupial sprinting across the park grounds shortly after 4am on June 2, triggering a major search operation.<\/p>\n

The two-year-old Tasmanian devil had only recently arrived at Paradise Country as part of a conservation program for the endangered species.<\/p>\n

Curator of native and exotic wildlife Lauren Mousley said it remained \u201ca bit of a mystery\u201d how the shy young Tasmanian devil managed to escape her enclosure.<\/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 earlier this week.<\/p>\n

\"CCTVCCTV footage shows endangered Tasmanian devil Mary escaping her enclosure at Paradise Country in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Credit: Paradise Country\"WildlifeWildlife crews believe Mary has travelled kilometres from her enclosure, with sightings mapped across Oxenford. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Search crews and wildlife teams have been combing surrounding bushland each night using thermal imaging cameras, drones and sniffer dogs, but until now had focused their efforts further north.<\/p>\n

The latest sighting has given crews fresh hope Mary is still nearby, while also expanding the search area further south.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout four cars rocked up and 10 people came looking throughout the back here, making a plan for how to find it,\u201d Wis said after alerting wildlife crews to her CCTV sighting.<\/p>\n

There have also been several other credible sightings since the escape.<\/p>\n

Mary was reportedly seen on Wednesday in nearby bushland, before devil droppings were discovered on Thursday, suggesting she had been eating regularly and staying healthy while on the run.<\/p>\n

Experts say Mary appears to be adapting well despite being born in captivity, making her increasingly difficult to catch.<\/p>\n

\"SearchSearch crews have set traps through dense Gold Coast bushland as the hunt for runaway Tasmanian devil Mary enters another night. Credit: Paradise Country\"WildlifeWildlife crews have set traps through dense bushland. Credit: Paradise Country<\/p>\n

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

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

Search teams are now concentrating efforts around thick vegetation and bushland near the latest sighting, where experts believe Mary has found plenty of food, shelter and places to hide.<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s disappearance has captured national attention, spawning memes, AI-generated images and widespread speculation online.<\/p>\n

\"AI-generatedAI-generated images imagining Mary\u2019s Gold Coast adventures have exploded online since the endangered marsupial vanished. Credit: 7NEWS\"OneOne AI image jokingly showed runaway Tasmanian devil Mary being mistaken for a lost cat, just as one resident initially thought after spotting her on CCTV. Credit: 7NEWS\"AnotherAnother AI-generated image pictured Mary partying on the Gold Coast during her week on the loose. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Promising clues as hunt for runaway Tassie devil enters day four<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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Teen girls lucky to be alive after allegedly stolen car smashes into home<\/p>\n

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