A suburban home in Tasmania's Central Highlands has become the unlikely target of a series of late-night raids, with the culprits being a family of mischievous Tasmanian devils. The marsupials have been captured on security camera footage making off with an assortment of household items, including dog toys, in the early hours of the morning.
The Nocturnal Heists Uncovered
Property owner Jayne Warner told 7NEWS she had been puzzled for months by the mysterious disappearance of items from her yard. The mystery was solved when CCTV footage revealed the truth: a group of cheeky Tasmanian devils was responsible. The video shows the animals dashing out from a hole under the house, snatching whatever they could carry.
"There's at least seven or eight items under the house at the moment and previous to that we didn't know what the hell was going on, so it could be more," Warner said. She estimates the heists have been occurring for about four months, with the devils striking most days around the same time.
3am Wake-Up Calls and Unusual Tenants
The devilish activity has created a distinctive and noisy alarm clock for the household. "All you can hear is roaring and whatever the devil noise is, we get it at 3 o'clock every single morning," Warner described. Despite the disruption, the homeowner has adopted a surprisingly tolerant attitude towards her unusual guests.
Interestingly, the Tasmanian devils aren't the only animals getting in on the action. The CCTV footage and subsequent investigations suggest that a wombat, a spotted quoll, and a ringtail possum have also been part of the chaos, potentially cohabiting under the house with the devil family.
A Welcome, If Noisy, Surprise
Rather than seeking to evict her wild tenants, Jayne Warner says she finds them amusing company and is happy for them to stay. She has issued only one condition for their continued residence: they must refrain from taking larger or noisier items to their hideaway beneath the floorboards.
This incident highlights the close proximity between suburban life and unique native wildlife in parts of Tasmania. It serves as a charming reminder of the island state's remarkable biodiversity, even when it involves the theft of a few dog toys in the dead of night.
