The search for missing Tasmanian devil Mary has entered its third day, with wildlife officers focusing efforts on bushland behind a major Gold Coast theme park after several credible sightings were reported overnight.
Crews are concentrating on the Kopps Rd area at Oxenford on Thursday, just behind Paradise Country and Warner Bros. Movie World, where residents reported seeing the endangered marsupial on Wednesday night.
About 15 wildlife officers are expected to search the area, supported by thermal imaging drones and cameras as crews attempt to track down the 5kg animal in dense bushland.
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Food traps have also been set as part of the operation.
Wildcare has received a number of calls from the public, including what authorities say are hoax sightings complicating the search effort.
However, officials say other reports appear credible and suggest Mary may have moved beyond the park grounds but is still safe.
The two-year-old had recently arrived with fellow Tasmanian devil Mavka at the Gold Coast attraction as part of a broader conservation initiative for the endangered species, which is native to Tasmania and not found in the wild on mainland Australia.
She was discovered to be missing during routine checks about 7.30am on Tuesday, triggering an extensive search involving wildlife officers, Wildcare volunteers, Queensland Police and nearby zoo facilities.
CCTV later showed Mary sprinting across the park grounds shortly after 4am on June 2 after apparently escaping her quarantine enclosure.
Paradise Country curator of native and exotic wildlife Lauren Mousley said earlier this week staff believed Mary may have escaped after making an “abnormally large leap”.
“The park temporarily closed to visitors on Tuesday while crews searched surrounding bushland using thermal drones, sniffer dogs and wildlife tracking teams.
Mousley said Mary was known to be a particularly shy animal.
“What we do know about her is that she’s extremely shy and when there is movement she tends to bunker down,” she said.
