The story of rewildering Buster
A young Tasmanian devil, rescued as a joey and rehabilitated by local wildlife carers, was recently soft-released back into the wild on private bushland in southern Tasmania.
The devil, now known as Buster, was found alone by locals after becoming separated from his mother. Too young to survive on his own, he was placed in the care of experienced wildlife rehabilitators, who raised him until he was ready for the next stage of his journey: rewilding.
To facilitate this process, a purpose-built soft release enclosure was constructed on private property. The enclosure offers a safe, monitored environment where devils can acclimatise to their natural surroundings before being fully released.
This release site has become a powerful example of community-driven conservation, with local residents, volunteers, and conservationists all contributing to the build.
All food provided during Buster's stay in the enclosure was sourced from Bruny Island to reduce the risk of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer that affects Tasmanian devils. Because Bruny Island has no wild devil population, it is considered a safe source of uncontaminated food.
Once relocated to the enclosure, Buster quickly began showing all the right behaviours—exploring, foraging, and interacting with the environment—indicating that he was ready for release. Not long after, the gate was opened, and Buster returned to the wild.
He was briefly spotted back at the site a few hours later before heading off for good—a strong sign that the release had gone to plan.
This initiative reflects the importance of combining science, education, and community action to protect Tasmania's unique wildlife and support the long-term survival of the Tasmanian devil.
