Unique mentorship between the nation’s ‘Devil Whisperer’ and first-time Devil ‘mum’

Devil brothers, Newy and Rumble, thrive as they lap milky meat, put on weight, and adapt to life with their dedicated human parent

It’s Devil Joey Classroom at conservation organisation Aussie Ark, as Australia’s so-called ‘Devil Whisperer’ Operations Manager Dean Reid teaches Wildlife Ranger Riley Tydeman how to be ‘mum’ to two adorable Devil joey orphans for the very first time.

The Devil joeys, a pair of brothers called Newy and Rumble, were tragically separated from their mother during this winter’s wild weather, when flood, snow and catastrophic wind damaged the intensive Devil breeding yards in Aussie Ark’s Species Recovery Unit in the Barrington Tops Sanctuary.

Thankfully, they were found close to their den’s location and rescued. They were initially hand-raised by Mr Reid and are now six months old. Mentoring younger team members is a passion of Mr Reid, so he has transitioned the brothers into the care of Mr Tydeman. Mr Tydeman has had lots of practice for this moment, successfully raising several endangered joeys, including Buttercup the Rufous Bettong, and Petey the Parma Wallaby.

Mr Reid showed Mr Tydeman how to prepare a highly nutritious meal of kangaroo mince and specialised milk mix, and how to weigh the Devils. Advice included meal portions and mealtimes, as well as how to assess body condition and faeces to monitor health properly.

“Hand-raising a Devil is intensive and tricky,” Mr Reid said. “They are very vulnerable at this age, and it’s a huge responsibility. Riley will be on call for them around the clock; their survival depends upon him. I need to be sure he’s confident with everything before he takes over parenting.”

Mr Reid was delighted with Mr Tydeman’s attention to detail, dedication, and passion for the Devil joeys. He declared the mentorship a huge success and was delighted to see the little brothers instantly bond with Mr Tydeman. They even fell asleep in his arms!

“Raising a Devil is an experience I’ve dreamt of the entire time I’ve worked for Aussie Ark,” Mr Tydeman said. “It’s so exciting to have this dream come true and help these exquisite animals grow into the beautiful beings I know they’ll become.”

Once Newy and Rumble are fully grown and independent, they will join Aussie Ark’s famous breeding and rewilding program, which is the largest of its kind on mainland Australia. The brothers will be fathers in the 2027 breeding season, playing their part in saving their iconic species from extinction.