Twin hand-raised Tasmanian devil joeys have caused adorable mischief and sparked hope for the future of the endangered native species.
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Four-month-old Tassie devils 'Pickles' and 'Cheese' are part of a breeding program that has seen 53 Tasmanian devil joeys born this season, according to conservation organisation Aussie Ark.
It comes as more than 90 per cent of Tasmanian devils have been lost to a deadly facial tumour disease that has almost wiped out the wild population.
The four-month-old joey twins will stay at the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast while they are hand-raised by their surrogate dad, Billy Collett, until they're old enough to be transferred to Aussie Ark's protected sanctuary.
Mr Collett said 'Pickles' and 'Cheese' were a handful to care for, but it's easy to see why the devils are one of Australia's most iconic native species.
"I'm lacking a little sleep at the moment, feeding these guys every few hours is hard work, but I wouldn't change a thing" Mr Collett said.
"They love to get up to mischief, playing with each other and climbing everything" he said.
Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said breeding season is always a highlight for the organisation.
"We're excited to see how Pickles and Cheese flourish over the next eight months, before they return to Aussie Ark and re-join the program," he said.
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