A two-year-old Tasmanian devil named Mary escaped from her enclosure at Paradise Country theme park on the Gold Coast this past Tuesday [1].
The escape forced the immediate closure of the attraction to visitors [3]. The situation highlights the challenges of managing high-energy wildlife in tourist settings and the potential risks to both the animal and the public if a breach occurs.
Mary was a recent addition to the park's animal collection [2]. CCTV footage captured the moment the animal exited her enclosure, though the exact cause of the security breach remains undisclosed [1, 4].
Search operations entered their second day as teams worked to locate the animal [5]. Authorities have deployed a coordinated response involving sniffer dogs, and thermal-imaging drones to scan the grounds and surrounding areas [1, 2].
Paradise Country officials have not yet provided a timeline for when the park will reopen to the public [2]. The search continues as the park attempts to ensure the safe recovery of the animal [1].
“Mary, a two-year-old Tasmanian devil, escaped from her enclosure at Paradise Country”
The use of thermal-imaging drones and sniffer dogs indicates a high-priority recovery effort to prevent the animal from wandering into residential areas of the Gold Coast. Because Tasmanian devils are not native to the Queensland mainland, the recovery is critical for the animal's survival and the park's regulatory standing regarding wildlife containment.
