One of our favorite stops on our Tasmania trip was to Nature World - a wildlife sanctuary and rehabilitation park. It was such an up close and personal experience! We met a guide and first stop - the Devils! We were surprised by how adorable they were. If they couldn't bite through your bone in one chomp or eat a full cow by themselves we might have wanted to pick them up and cuddle one.
Tasmanian Devils are endangered. The ones at this park were either injured (typically hit by a car) or born in captivity. If they are born in captivity they typically have to stay at the park because they don't have the ability to survive on their own.
This little guy is was with his mom when they were hit by a car when he was a baby. His hip never healed correctly so he will stay at the park. Devils have terrible eyesight but a great sense of smell. We watched our guide feed him legs from kangaroos by hand!
Ireland was quite enamored with the devils! She kept waving and yelling HI!! to all of them. She giggled whenever they came near her. I think she was doing her best to flirt.
These three little devils were born in captivity - they are sisters named Pain, Power and...another name starting with a P. They were pretty cute and they would get riled up and run around and play together.
A Tasmanian Bettong. We seriously wanted to pick up and snuggle every animal we saw!
An echidna! These are closely related to the duck billed platypus.
Ireland was in love with this little spotted quoll and it was in love with her back! She was possibly the cutest little thing at the park. Ireland and the quoll. :)
This is Miss Maisy, the wombat. She is young enough that she has to go home with one of the caretakers at night because they need care 24 hours a day.
These are a type of possum. And again...super cute.
This is Whitney the Wombat and zookeeper Sarah - Whitney played with Sarah for awhile and kept being super silly and rolling down the hill every time Sarah tried to pick her up. She would climb into Sarah's lap and then when Sarah would hold her, Whitney would pretend to fall. It was hilarious! And then the icing on the cake was when Whitney and Ireland had a little moment and shared a kiss!
We fed and petted kangaroos for nearly an hour! We were quite taken with them and they were wild, yet trusting after awhile.
Our highlight was when this little mama came out of the woods and slowly approached us with her little joey in her pouch! The kids eventually wooed her and she let them pet and feed her joey!
And then this happened at the end of our stay there! Everly found her soulmate.
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