Skip to Content

Best Places to See Tasmanian Devils

We find the wildlife in and around Australia very exciting! Here, we let you know the best places to see Tasmanian Devils!

No, not the drooling, growling, and terrifying Looney Tunes cartoon character who is always chasing Bugs Bunny and his companions around like a spinning top. The actual animal can only be found in one Australian state in the wild.

Tasmanian Devils stand out among the unique species found in Australia. So, while watching kangaroos run through wildlife parks and taking pictures with koalas, visit this southern Australian island of Tasmania to learn more about the Tasmanian Devil.

It is a keystone species in Tasmania and the emblem of several state-wide Australian wildlife organizations.

Some Interesting Facts About Tasmanian Devils

  1. When fully grown, Tasmanian Devils weigh under thirty pounds and appear similar to big-boned dogs. They appear somewhat innocent when not hostile. 
  2. However, we’ve seen newborn Tasmanian Devils in various wildlife enclosures, and even at an early age, their fur felt like rough bristles. They live alone, venture outside at night, and are neither pleasant nor social.
  3. Tasmanian devils can become hostile if they feel threatened or seek food. Early settlers believed demons had encircled their tribe because of how Tasmanian Devils bared their teeth, lunged, and screamed in the dark. They were known as Tasmanian “devils” because of this.
  4. Their jaws can expand to an astounding eighty degrees on their enormous skulls! And they have the world’s strongest bite for their size. In fact, they possess the strength to gnaw through even the heaviest of metal wires!
  5. The Tasmanian Devil, the most giant carnivorous marsupial in the world, solely eats flesh.
  6. They consume carrion, or dead animals, in addition to hunting birds, snakes, and other mammals up to the size of small kangaroos. They entirely use their powerful jaws, gnawing and gulping down even the bones as they consume anything they can dig their sharp teeth into.
  7. For Tasmanian Devils in Tasmania, things weren’t always easy either. When they gave them that name, the settlers mistook the ‘Devils’ for cattle killers. Until the 1940s, when the government intervened to preserve them, they were poisoned and hunted down almost to extinction.
  8. Although they were initially common throughout Australia, Tasmanian Devils currently exclusively inhabit the island of Tasmania. They have successfully adapted to a wide range of settings in Tasmania, including towns, woodlands, and the shore. 
  9. It is thought that the emergence of dingoes—which never extended to Tasmania to harm the Devils—can be attributed to the Devils’ extinction on the Australian mainland rather than environmental change.
  10. Ever wondered why a Tasmanian Devil’s tail is so thick? This is because they store fat inside their tails, like all other marsupials, for when food is scarce. 
  11. Tasmanian Devils also have distinct teeth. They have around forty-two teeth, like a fully grown dog. However, their teeth continue to grow as they age, improving their ability to consume their prey’s bones. 
  12. These nocturnal animals also have heightened senses and can sniff food from a mile away.

Places You Can Currently Find Tasmanian Devils

How can you see Tasmanian devils if they only come out at night? What are the best places to see these magnificent animals? 

Well, other than the wild, visiting various wildlife parks in Tasmania is the best way to see one up, close and personal. So, without further ado, here are a few Tasmanian wildlife parks that will allow you to see a Tasmanian Devil in all its glory!

WINGS WILDLIFE PARK

The Wings Wildlife Park is adjacent to Devils at Cradle and Trowunna Wildlife Park. 

Wings, Tasmania’s largest wildlife park and home to the state’s most extensive collection of animals, offers lodging in addition to an aquatic area where visitors may see local fish species, including the Rainbow Trout. 

Along with American Bison, they also have Tasmanian Devils and various local and international animals!

If you want to travel from mainland Australia to Wings Wildlife Park, you can ride the Spirit of Tasmania boat from Melbourne to Devonport. 

However, as public transportation is not widely available in Tasmania, going by boat is the best way to reach Wings Wildlife Park. Alternatively, you can rent a car from the airports in Launceston or Hobart.

TASMANIA ZOO

The Tasmania Zoo, which is twenty-five minutes away from Launceston, is another place that houses both local and exotic species, especially Tasmanian Devils. 

They are committed to protecting the native species of Tasmania. Still, you can also view monkeys from other parts of the world here, along with lions, camels, crocodiles, and meerkats. They are also the only Australian zoo with Black Crested Macaques.

That said, taking advantage of some of the fantastic sites and attractions Launceston offers while you’re there would be wise. A few of these are:

Tamar Valley Wine Route

This area is brimming with restaurants and wineries.

  • National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

This place is perfect for old bike and car lovers.

  • Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

Full of artwork local to the area.

  • The Penny Royal theme park

This place is a must-visit, especially if you’re on vacation with kids.

  • The Cataract Gorge

An excellent place to spot Tasmanian Devils, this site includes a swimming pool, chairlift, etc.

TROWUNNA WILDLIFE PARK

The Trowunna Wildlife Park, located near Mole Creek, can be reached from Devils at Cradle in under one hour and forty minutes. 

Trowunna is the perfect location to watch Tasmanian Devils and other local creatures with participatory tours with an emphasis on conservation and education. 

Thanks to the zoo’s diversity of microhabitats, you can witness native mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Some animals are only passing by, while others are being rehabilitated!

You may easily visit Cradle Mountain National Park while you’re in the vicinity. However, you can also visit “Tasmazia.” 

This is a fantastic site with a lavender farm, a one-to-the-fifteen-scale model village, and eight mazes. It is worth a detour while going to the Trowunna Wildlife park!

DEVILS @ CRADLE

Devils At Cradle, a museum in the state’s north-western Cradle Mountain National Park, focuses on the Spotted-tail and Eastern and the Tasmanian Devil, three carnivorous marsupials that live there. 

This museum, located near Cradle Mountain Lodge, is the ideal location for an up-close and personal experience with Quolls and Tasmanian Devils. The conservation center collaborates closely with state-wide conservation initiatives as well.

Furthermore, it would be best to spend a day or two at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge when visiting the Cradle Mountain National Park and enjoy multiple bushwalking options in this untamed landscape. Moreover, visit these sites as well:

  • Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery
  • Marion’s Lookout
  • Dove Lake Boatshed
  • Cradle Mountain
  • EAST COAST NATUREWORLD

The East Coast Nature World is a wildlife reserve spread across one hundred and fifty acres of parks and lagoons in the town of Bicheno on Tasmania’s East Coast. 

Here, you can wander around the aviaries and get up close to parrots, ducks, pheasants, and cockatoos. You can also tour their unique “Devil World” education center. This has everything you would want to know about different breeds of Tasmanian Devils

Explore the beaches, the wilderness, and the mountains while you’re in the region to take advantage of the breathtaking natural scenery East Coast Natureworld offers. The following places in the vicinity are must-sees:

  • Town of Orford and Swansea
  • Coles Bay
  • Wineglass Bay
  • Freycinet National Park
  • The Hazards Mountains
  • TASMANIAN DEVIL UNZOO

The innovative Tasmanian Devil ‘Unzoo’ initiative is situated on the Tasman Peninsula, approximately a seventy-five-minute drive from Hobart. 

The Tasmanian Devil Unzoo strives to create habitats as close to nature as possible, unlike being a wildlife park or zoo. 

They also play a significant role in the conservation efforts for these animals and frequently have experiences with them. In fact, while visiting the devil dome, you can also come face to face with them!

That said, while you’re in the Tasmanian Peninsula, you must see the colonial and convict history sites as well as the breathtaking natural sites, including:

  • The Dog Line
  • The Tesselated Pavement
  • Doo Town 
  • Tasman Arch
  • The Blowhole
  • The Devil’s Kitchen
  • Port Arthur Historic Site
  • ZOODOO ZOO

Zoodoo, adjacent to the historic town of Richmond, has animals native to Tasmania and other fascinating creatures worldwide. 

In addition to hand-feeding, a walk-through aviary, a “safari” tour, and the opportunity to visit private zoos with various Tasmanian Devil breeds, Zoodoo provides hands-on and up close and personal encounters with their animals.

If you are in this region, you should indeed consider visiting some of the attractions in Richmond, including:

  • The Old Hobart Town Village
  • An old-fashioned local sweet store
  • The oldest Australian bridge
  • BONORONG WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The nearest location to Hobart to visit Tassie Devils and a variety of other native Tasmanian creatures is Bonorong. 

The refuge receives wounded wildlife and either care for the animals permanently or provides for their rehabilitation. On one of the daily trips, visitors can cuddly koala bears, pet wombats, and kangaroos. 

The twenty Tasmanian Devils found here are part of a breeding program. This program is focused on saving them from going extinct. They are fed on daily excursions, and Bonorong provides ample areas for them to roam around and live in freedom.

If you live in the state’s capital, Bonorong, which is just a thirty-minute drive from Hobart, is a fantastic destination. Don’t forget to see some of the other fantastic sites in Hobart, including:

  • TMAG (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery)
  • MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
  • Kunanyi/Mount Wellington
  • Cascade Brewery
  • The Salamanca Markets
  • THE WILDERNESS

There is no doubt that the Tasmanian wildlands are the best places to spot Tasmanian Devils

In fact, you’ll notice black and yellow signs with silhouettes of a toothy Tasmanian Devil warning you of their potential presence when driving through Tasmania’s motorways and backroads. 

Naturally, they are nocturnal, elusive, and try to avoid being noticed. So, the likelihood of you spotting one in the wild is quite slim. 

But there is always that chance when you spot one passing by! They can be found almost anywhere except for the highest altitudes, although their primary habitat is in eastern and northeastern Tasmania.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY WILDERNESS

Get comfortable in your rustic cabin at Mountain Valley Wilderness as darkness falls in Tasmania’s northwest highlands and take in one of the finest animal displays on the planet. 

Hungry spotted-tail quolls, echidnas, and maybe even a few Tasmanian devils will appear in your doorway. 

Wallabies, possums, and the peculiar-looking duck-billed platypus swim around in the local stream at this secluded refuge, which includes six log cottages in a hidden valley. Furthermore, you can also go on Interpretive platypus excursions conducted in the dark.

Tips For Spotting Tasmanian Devils

Listen Carefully 

Consider listening to animals as well as looking for them. When they hop, kangaroos, wallabies, and pademelons generate thumping noises. On the other hand, when searching for Tasmanian Devils, search for horrible screeching noises. 

Furthermore, echidnas rustle in the bushes if you’re looking for them. Similarly, birds chirp and sing if you’re into bird hunting. So, wait patiently and quietly and listen. You’ll be surprised at what you can find in the Tasmanian wildlands. 

Stay Overnight

Book a night at a bush lodge or go camping because most Tasmanian wildlife is active at night. There will be many creatures around after the sun begins to set. 

Furthermore, camping is even more advantageous than staying in a hotel because many animals no longer fear humans (unluckily, their food).

Go On a Tasmanian Hiking Trip

Parks are a terrific spot to watch wildlife in Tasmania, without a doubt. However, you won’t see much if you stay in the visitor center with everyone else. Instead, consider going on a hiking trip in the Tasmanian wildlands. 

In fact, to increase your chances of spotting echidnas, quolls, and Tasmanian Devils, choose less-traveled paths and do so quietly. 

Go At Dusk And Dawn

As mentioned before, Tasmanian animals are nocturnal, especially Tasmanian Devils. They sleep during the day and become active at night time. 

The only Tasmanian animals active throughout the day are reptiles, marine life, and birds. You can venture outside at night with a lamp, but the light will frighten the wildlife. 

However, only go outside when there is enough light to see at dawn and sunset for the best possibility of spotting nocturnal Tasmanian. At that time, they are at their most active.

Wrapping Up on Best Places to See Tasmanian Devils

The Tasmanian Devil is in danger owing to a contagious facial tumor, as you may know (and will shortly, if not already, after visiting these wildlife parks). 

Although a potential treatment has just been found, much more work has to be done to ensure that these unique tiny creatures can continue to exist in the wild in Tasmania. 

However, your money will support conservation and disease research efforts if you visit these wildlife parks. So, consider visiting them without any hesitation! 

Furthermore, you may give some aid to the “Save the Tasmanian Devil Campaign” by visiting their website, especially if you wish to do more to help these animals survive and thrive in the wild.

Lastly, don’t forget to reduce your speed when driving in Tasmania between morning and nightfall since these tiny devils come out at night and can be seen consuming roadkill before turning into roadkill themselves. So, let’s all work to keep this animal in existence for a very long time!

If you enjoyed this blog, you would certainly enjoy more of our blogs from the Australian Top 10 Animals in the Australian Outback region like: Top 10 Animals in the Australian Outback, Wildlife in Australia or out other Mammals.