Original subtitles

What happens if one grabs on to my arm?

Well, don't let them do that.

Coyote: Dinner's served, boys and girls!

Look at those marsupials going for the prize.

Oh, don't you bite my foot! Don't you bite my foot!

My name is coyote peterson, and I've traveled the world

Seeking out the most fascinating animals on our planet.

Look at that!

No matter the location,

My mission has always been the same --

To get up close and uncover the secrets of the creatures

That we often misunderstand or even worse, fear.

Every animal has a story, and I brave the wild to tell it.

-- Captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by discovery communications

On the remote island of tasmania,

There lurks a creature so ferocious

That early explorers called it the satanic flesh-lover.

Today, it is known as the tasmanian devil.

In recent years, the wild populations have been decimated

By devil facial tumor disease, an incurable illness,

Which now threatens to wipe these carnivorous marsupials

Off the face of the planet.

What does it take to save a species from extinction?

I'm about to find out.

♪

♪

The barrington tops are unlike

Any other environment in australia.

Ancient forests blanket the mountainsides,

Creating a mysterious world

That is nearly identical to the island of tasmania,

Making this ecosystem perfect for the hundreds of devils

That call this location home.

When this preservation project began in 2011,

It was strategically separated

From the island state of tasmania,

Where devil facial tumor disease originated.

This horrific disease has pushed tasmanian devils

To the brink of extinction.

It's a massive undertaking,

But thanks to the active breeding program,

A founding population of 44 devils

Have now produced over 300 healthy joeys.

Until a cure for the disease is found,

Their survival is crucial to the future of this species.

♪

I'm spending a day shadowing the ark's supervisor,

Max jackson, where I will learn what it takes

To keep this population of tasmanian devils

Healthy and thriving.

The first order of business

Is inspecting the property's perimeter fence.

Like all marsupials,

Tasmanian devils are surprisingly athletic.

And while they may only stand a few inches off the ground,

Their ability to climb makes them incredible escape artists.

Hence, the height of this fence.

So, that stick here?

Yeah.

See how it goes up over that tin?

So that's flight risk right there, then?

Yeah, definitely -- anything that goes over this tin.

The whole reason that this tin is here is that,

Especially the younger devils, they can climb.

So they can climb up this wire.

We've got the tin so anything that reaches above that tin

Is considered a risk, so stuff like this,

Especially with all these big gums around,

Are not uncommon to see, which is why we do

The perimeter check every day. Okay.

So we'll just move it off and chuck it over to the side.

Pick it up and get it off there.

All right.

Got it? Yeah.

Oh. Of course, it's tangled up.

Just heave it back into here?

Yep.

[ grunts ]

[ growls ]

[ chuckles ] all right, path clear.

Continue on with the check of the perimeter fence.

The younger devils occasionally find ways

To navigate out of their primary enclosures,

So the ark places a series of perimeter traps,

Which effectively and safely catch any of the escapees.

So, that's a devil trap?

Max: That's it.

Oh, wow. So, basically the last line of defense?

If a devil escapes from its enclosure --

And they like to move along the perimeter?

Is that the idea? That's it.

So, generally, when they get out,

They'll come along to the perimeter's edge,

And then they'll follow it,

But they can smell food from 2 kilometers away,

So we've got them stationed within every 1 kilometer

So they'll always smell meat, and they go straight into it.

Okay, so if I'm a devil, I'm coming along --

Ooh, meat treat!

Go in there, pull the trigger, and I imagine

Once they pull the meat, it activates the trap.

Yep, that's it. That's the trigger.

Oh, yeah, look at that.

And then this here locks it in place,

And then we have a rock there

So that the devil doesn't just roll away afterwards.

Yeah, that would be bad.

And then we'll check it each morning.

Well, I'll reset this one.

Let's see.

That's it. All right.

♪

With the traps checked and the perimeter secure,

It was time for me to move on to a far less glorious chore,

But one that is perfectly poised for an eager intern like myself.

The next step in my training,

Which involves me picking up giant devil poops.

Wow, they're lot bigger

Than I thought 'cause I see one right there.

It's, like, the size of a dog turd.

That's a big poop for a pretty small animal.

All right. [ grunts ]

Now, I can pretty much imagine the process,

But do I use something to pick up the poop with?

What's the process here? Sure do.

You can have either one or two of these bad boys and a bucket.

♪

So, who's doing what?

You're gonna go do all the poop on this way,

And I'll go around the other way.

They only poo along the edges, so if you head this way,

I'll go that way, and we'll meet on the other side.

♪

[ snorts ]

♪

That one's strange-looking.

♪

Cameraman: What's that?

That's how we pick up poop, actually.

Oh, that's pretty convenient.

[ hums ]

So, essentially, you're just having coyote do your job today.

Yeah, I also gave him the bad one.

They always poo along the front where I sent him.

I'm just going for a stroll. [ chuckles ]

Solid collection of turds here.

All right, max, I think we got all of the poops.

Whoa!

That's a pooper scooper. Yeah.

You had a pooper scooper this whole time,

And you didn't tell me?

We only had one, and you're the intern, so you got the gloves.

[ laughs ]

That is a lot of devil poop right there.

[ devil growling ]

Coyote: Before we go face to face with the tasmanian devil,

First, it's important to understand what this animal is

And why its survival is of such importance.

For starters, it's a marsupial, which means it's a mammal

That carries its young in an abdominal pouch.

There are 334 marsupial species in the world,

And australia is home to nearly 70% of them.

With its razor-sharp teeth and bone-crushing jaws,

The tasmanian devil hails as the largest living

Carnivorous marsupial in the world.

But at one point, an even larger pouched predator

Roamed our planet, the tasmanian tiger.

Also know as the thylacine,

This incredible creature was driven to extinction,

And the cause was humans.

It's tragic.

Farmers blamed this predator for the deaths of livestock.

Bounty was placed on their heads.

And in just a matter of years, they were wiped off the planet.

The last known tasmanian tiger died in captivity

On September 7, 1936.

Extinction is forever, and while devil facial tumor disease

Is not the result of humans,

Devil ark now has the chance to make up for the past

By saving the tiger's smaller cousin.

♪

All right, max, so, I have been through the ropes today.

I have checked the perimeter fence.

I've picked up plenty of stinky devil poop.

And now it's the moment where I actually get into an enclosure

To try to whisper a devil.

Now, is there any danger inherent

In what it is to get into this enclosure?

Well, getting in is just making sure

You don't trip over the entrance,

But once you're in there, there is some devils in there.

So, we've got phantom and phoenix.

Both these guys are hand-reared.

They're kind of at that stage where they're losing

That maternal thing that hand-rearing really relies on,

So phantom in particular is thinking he's

A bit of a big boy, and he may have a nibble.

Phoenix -- whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

What does a nibble mean?

It's not like a dog, so if he comes up,

Don't give him your fist to have a sniff

'cause he'll just bite it. Oh.

It's not, like, an interaction thing

Where they'll sniff and get to know you.

It's, "oh, I'll bite that." okay.

So, this reminds me a little bit of

When I got to get into an enclosure with a wolverine.

I would, in a certain sense, compare the wolverine

To a tasmanian devil based on powerful jaws,

Unpredictability, quick movements.

So we'll see if I can make a connection with this animal.

Okay, let's see what it's like to whisper a devil.

Oh, look. It looks like phoenix is out already.

All right, phoenix, coming to get you.

[ hissing ]

I'm gonna pick you up, okay? Let me see what happens.

[ snarling ]

♪

Coyote: I'm about to enter an enclosure

With the most ferocious marsupial on the planet.

And even though these devils have been raised by humans,

I will need to approach them with extreme care.

Armed with one of the most powerful bite forces

On the planet,

The tasmanian devil's jaws can easily crush bone,

So a bite would result in serious injury.

Hey, big girl. I see your nose.

You gonna come out?

Hi, phoenix.

Now, is she imprinted on you, basically?

You're kind of her devil mom in a certain sense at this point?

Not on me. So, I didn't hand-rear these two.

One of our other staff did.

But she gets along quite well with me.

Phantom doesn't.

I don't think he likes men, to be honest.

I think phantom's got a bit of a mummy issue.

Hey, boof. Don't you bite me.

[ snarling ]

♪

[ continues snarling ]

♪

That's a handful right there.

[ stops snarling ] settle.

The sounds are just incredible that they make,

And that's not any sound that indicates injury.

It's just a warning.

This is one of the most quintessential elements

Of the tasmanian devil is that sound.

It's incredible how loud they are

And how intimidating that is.

So you can imagine if any potential predator

Came into the environment,

And they saw that set of teeth and that noise,

It immediately would run in the opposite direction.

Okay, let's see what happens. Here I come.

I'm a little nervous about this.

So, you're saying just kind of grab on to the body?

Yeah, just pick her up nice and gently.

You sure about this? We'll see how she reacts.

I'm gonna pick you up, okay? We're gonna see what happens.

[ growling ] that's it. That's it.

One fluid motion.

There you go. I got her, I got her.

Okay, I'm gonna bring you in tight first and squeeze.

Oh, there we go.

You are so soft.

There it is, holding a tasmanian devil.

All right, let's crouch down.

They really like to feel as if they are tucked in,

So you can see I'm just holding on to her backside here.

And look at that adorable little face.

You'll notice the ears of this little devil

Are actually very red in coloration.

And as they're moving through the grasses,

Sometimes it's just their head that sticks up and above,

And in setting sunlight,

Those ears almost look like devil horns.

So that's partially where the name tasmanian devil comes from.

But when you really look at the face of this devil,

How adorable is that creature?

Those long whiskers, and you don't even realize

How long the whiskers are until you get right up

In the nose of that animal.

Now, the way that tasmanian devils really hone in

And find their food is their incredible sense of smell.

Look at that nose.

It's adorable but also incredibly functional,

And they can smell a dead or wounded animal

From a significant distance away,

And then they rely on that nose to lead them to their food.

Well, max, at this point, I would definitely say

We have discovered a softer side of the tasmanian devil.

But when it comes to feeding frenzies,

Things are gonna get a little more ferocious, aren't they?

Definitely.

Well, I think I'm ready to get into the enclosure

For feeding time.

All right. Phoenix, thanks for being such a cute devil.

♪

Coyote: First described in 1996, devil facial tumor disease

Is an aggressive, transmissible cancer

That is only found in tasmanian devils.

It begins with small tumors on the face and mouth

That grow more severe over time,

Preventing the animal from being able to eat,

Which ultimately leads to starvation.

Sadly, the disease has killed nearly 95%

Of the world's wild devil populations.

Researchers are working on a solution,

But as of now, there's no cure,

Which is what makes this insurance population

So critical to the species' survival.

♪

Coyote: All right, max. So, we have stopped in this clearing.

What's the next play?

So, once a week we go through and we collect

All the bones and old skeletons from all the previous feeds.

So, basically, if you just head out in all these long grasses,

You'll find all these large bones, and if you want to go

Grab them and chuck them in the back of the ute --

That way, we can take them off site.

Okay. What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna just chill here and watch my intern work.

[ laughter ]

All right, more cleaning up after the devils.

Let's do this.

♪

Yes, check that out!

♪

Legs.

♪

Looks like a crime scene.

So, you may be wondering to yourself,

"why have the devils not eaten all of the bones?"

These bigger, thicker ones

Oftentimes they will leave behind,

But anything that's cartilage-based

Or smaller bones, most of the time they will chomp apart

And actually eat the bone and the marrow.

But considering the fact they're fed everyday,

Sometimes they just wait for the good stuff to show up.

♪

So, we have scouted the perimeter fence.

Yep. We've picked up poop.

We've picked up bones. What's next?

You've got to do some food prep,

And then we can go and feed them all.

Okay, sounds like a plan.

[ engine starts ]

Coyote: I'm halfway through the day as a devil ark intern,

And we're heading out to a remote paddock,

Where the fully grown tasmanian devils

Roam freely amongst the forested hills.

I think this is the location where I will engage

With a swarm of hungry tasmanian devils,

But before I can set up the feast,

Max has one more dirty job for me.

♪

Gloves seem to be the common theme

Of this part in my training,

From picking up poop to now processing meat.

♪

Like the start of a horror movie right here.

♪

[ chopping ]

Oh, you splashed me with blood!

[ chopping ]

Coyote: Oh, you splashed me with blood!

Yeah, they don't eat fruit and veggies, unfortunately.

That's devil food right there.

Coyote: My day as a devil ark intern has been educational,

And by getting hands on, I've learned that despite

Its spasmatic reputation throughout history,

The tasmanian devil actually has a softer

And, dare I say, cuddly side.

But as I load buckets of fresh meat,

I realize that I'm about to witness

The true ferociousness of these ravenous carnivores.

[ snarls ]

This is the ultimate encounter I have been waiting for,

But nothing can truly prepare you

For entering a tasmanian devil feeding frenzy.

[ snarling ]

I have gone through all the training

To become an intern here today at the devil ark,

And my big reward is entering an enclosure

With a bunch of very hungry devils

And as you can hear, the hunger cries have begun.

All right, so, max, we have about

30-pounds worth of meat right there.

But what's gonna happen when I go through the gate?

As soon as you go through the gate, have this out first.

Any time a devil approaches you,

You need to put the food in their face

So they bite onto that and not your legs.

I'll watch your back, but if they do come around your back,

Just swing it around and make sure that

That is the first piece of thing that they can possibly bite.

Okay. And what happens if one grabs on to my arm?

Well, don't let them do that.

I'm a little nervous. Here we go.

This is gonna be intense. Okay. Ready?

1...2...

Dinner's served, boys and girls!

[ snarling ]

Coming behind me! Coming behind me!

Whoa!

Oh, watch my legs! Getting too close!

Too close! Look at that power!

Total tasmanian devil feeding frenzy,

And I am right in the middle of it!

Quite a stark difference between the cuteness we saw earlier

And this aggression towards having a meal.

Oh, don't you bite my foot! Don't you bite my foot!

Okay, let's get up on the stake. Here we go.

Oh, watch my fingers!

[ grunts ]

Whoo! Tasmanian devils feasting.

Look at the carnage. This is unprecedented.

I've never seen anything like this.

[ snarling ]

[ squealing ]

Bones, tendons, skin, fur,

Everything is consumed by these animals.

Wow! They're just motoring through.

It's like piranhas at a kill.

This is amazing.

Listen to all the sounds that they're making --

All that huffing, all that puffing.

Look at how fast they are consuming the meat.

They're primarily scavengers but you can imagine

What it would be like if these creatures were predatory.

It would be quick business, that's for sure --

A very gruesome, very bloody death.

The sounds are just unreal.

Watch out! Got a leg bone flying here.

Man: You got one behind you.

Whoa!

Man: You got one behind you.

Whoa! Just have to keep watching behind me.

[ devils huffing, snarling ]

This is an opportunity for these animals.

If there's as a fallen carcass, they have to move in and eat

Before anything else gets to that food.

And it's so intimidating to see those jaws at work,

And the entire skull structure is so robust,

All of those muscles that are capable of working the jaws

To crush through the meat, the tendons, and the bones.

Oh, I just got splashed with blood.

Believe it or not, these devils eat every single day.

They are always this hungry.

You're kidding me.

It's just eating through the bone.

Throughout my career, I have been witness

To some amazing animal encounters,

But I don't think anything can top

Being part of a feeding frenzy with tasmanian devils.

I'm coyote peterson. Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

I think it's time for us to go.

As humans, we are responsible

For the disappearance of countless species,

But few can be considered more tragic than the thylacine.

And while we may not be directly linked

To the plight of the tasmanian devil,

A preservation program like devil ark

Gives humanity the chance for redemption.

Tasmanian devils were once looked at with fear,

And their snarling display is quite intimidating.

Yet if you go beyond the carnage of a feeding frenzy,

You will find a softer, more sensitive side to this animal.

By spending a day working alongside max,

We can all see that it takes a massive amount of dedication

To care for this population.

And the tireless efforts of the research team

Are bringing us closer to a cure for this crippling disease.

This is what it takes to save a species

That is spiraling toward extinction,

And if you would like to be a part of this incredible effort,

Visit devil ark's website and help preserve the future

For these adorable yet ferocious little creatures.

[ snarling ]