The San Diego Zoo has welcomed two male Tasmanian devil brothers, Jetsam and Flotsam, the zoo announced Tuesday.
The 3-year-olds are settling into the zoo’s Australian Outback, near Sydney’s Shoppe, after previously being under the care of Aussie Ark, a leading conservation organization.
Jetsam and Flotsam are most active in the early mornings and in the evenings during the zoo’s nighttime hours. Guests curious for a closer look at the devils can also see them napping and sunning in the mid-afternoon.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Jetsam, courtesy of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Flotsam, courtesy of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The San Diego Zoo is one of few zoos in the U.S. that cares for the species, according to its website, contributing to education and conservation efforts for the marsupials since the 1950s.
Tasmanian devils, native to the island of Tasmania, are endangered due to disease, resource competition and human-wildlife coexistence. The devil population has declined by nearly 85% since the late 1990s, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The primary factor for the decline is Devil Facial Tumor Disease, an infectious cancer that is almost 100% fatal. The infectious condition has spread widely across native populations, the zoo said.
However, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said the global species population is seeing a rebound with the help of research and conservation programs, including the zoo’s Australian Forest Conservation Hub.