Clownfish: the Devil who defied the odds
The devil was named Clownfish. She was about a year old and weighed just two kilos when she came in to Bonorong.
When the Bonorong team examined her, the wound was already too old to stitch. Necrotic tissue had to be removed before any healing could begin, and the size of the defect made the team concerned that they would maybe have to remove the leg.
But giving up wasn't an option.
"Devils are an endangered species. The wild population suffers from devil facial tumour disease, which has decimated the population, so every single devil is important. We wanted to do all we could to release Clownfish back into the wild." - Dr. Alex Kreiss, Veterinarian
What followed was two months of careful, patient treatment. Bandaging the wound was difficult, because devil skin is particularly intolerant to dressings. The team therefore had to switch to managing the wound without dressing, monitoring its progress each time Clownfish was anaesthetised. Slowly the wound began to close, and with that, Clownfish began to improve. In her first month of care she put on another kilo in weight.
Because devils are naturally shy and secretive, the team couldn't easily observe how well Clownfish was using the leg. A night vision camera placed in her enclosure gave them the answer they were hoping for - Clownfish was walking, climbing, and moving freely.
"About two months after she came into care, the wound had completely closed. We could call the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program again and tell them that she was good to be released back into the wild. That was a very happy outcome. She kept her leg, and she was released to be a free devil again." - Dr. Alex Kreiss, Veterinarian
🎥 - Video Production and Filming - Keelyn Sherwood
📸 - Photography and Additional Filming - Michael Eastwell Photography
To support Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and their work, visit https://www.friendsofbonorong.com/
The devil was named Clownfish. She was about a year old and weighed just two kilos when she came in to Bonorong.
When the Bonorong team examined her, the wound was already too old to stitch. Necrotic tissue had to be removed before any healing could begin, and the size of the defect made the team concerned that they would maybe have to remove the leg.
But giving up wasn't an option.
"Devils are an endangered species. The wild population suffers from devil facial tumour disease, which has decimated the population, so every single devil is important. We wanted to do all we could to release Clownfish back into the wild." - Dr. Alex Kreiss, Veterinarian
What followed was two months of careful, patient treatment. Bandaging the wound was difficult, because devil skin is particularly intolerant to dressings. The team therefore had to switch to managing the wound without dressing, monitoring its progress each time Clownfish was anaesthetised. Slowly the wound began to close, and with that, Clownfish began to improve. In her first month of care she put on another kilo in weight.
Because devils are naturally shy and secretive, the team couldn't easily observe how well Clownfish was using the leg. A night vision camera placed in her enclosure gave them the answer they were hoping for - Clownfish was walking, climbing, and moving freely.
"About two months after she came into care, the wound had completely closed. We could call the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program again and tell them that she was good to be released back into the wild. That was a very happy outcome. She kept her leg, and she was released to be a free devil again." - Dr. Alex Kreiss, Veterinarian
🎥 - Video Production and Filming - Keelyn Sherwood
📸 - Photography and Additional Filming - Michael Eastwell Photography
To support Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and their work, visit https://www.friendsofbonorong.com/
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