The missing Tasmanian devil that captivated Australia has been found alive after weeks on the run, but wildlife carers say she was in an unstable condition when rescuers finally tracked her down.
Mary's Disappearance and Discovery
Mary was located on Tuesday night by the Paradise Country Wildlife team in bushland off Kopps Rd on the Gold Coast, less than two kilometres from the park where she escaped. Staff discovered her missing on Tuesday, June 2, after CCTV captured her roaming the park at about 4am that morning.
The discovery followed an extensive search effort involving drone tracking, field searches and geographical projection modelling to narrow down her possible movements. But the relief of finding Mary was tempered by concerns for her health.
Health Concerns and Veterinary Care
Wildlife crews tracked sightings of Mary across Oxenford before locating the runaway Tasmanian devil. "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 stabilise her condition," Paradise Country said in a statement.
Mary remains under the care of veterinary specialists, with further diagnostics planned. "Paradise Country’s experienced wildlife team are continuing to support and care for Mary who is currently stable and remaining in the veterinary hospital to allow specialists to conduct further diagnostic testing," the park said.
Public Interest and Search Efforts
The endangered marsupial’s disappearance sparked widespread public interest, generating headlines across the country and inspiring a flood of memes, AI-generated images and social media speculation. Search crews had spent days combing nearby bushland and reviewing CCTV footage in a bid to locate the elusive animal.
