 
Tasmania home to exotic flora, faunaIsland off Australia 'devil's' playgroundSunday, January 14, 2007 By Robert W. Bone, Travel Arts Syndicate
HOBART, Tasmania, Australia -- Tasmanians love their tigers.
You find them on canvas or painted directly on the walls of pubs, in cartoons or in old framed drawings or photographs, on postcards and even on beer bottles. This benevolent-looking marsupial with a pouch like a kangaroo's looks like a dingo or a dog with stripes painted on its back. It seems to be everywhere -- everywhere, that is, except in the flesh. Officially, the last known Tasmanian tiger died in captivity in 1937, leaving only a few fading photos plus some stuffed hides, including one sad-looking fellow in Hobart, behind glass in the local museum. Museums in Washington and Milwaukee reportedly have a stuffed Tassie tiger, too, (though it was not really a "tiger," nor was it related to cats or dogs). Tasmania looks small when compared to the massive island continent of Australia. Nevertheless this island state with a population of just under half a million measures some 24,000 square miles -- about the size of West Virginia. Tasmanians point out that nearly a third of the island consists of rugged, nearly impenetrable, forests and other completely unexplored territory. And so ... well ... who knows if there are still a few shy and elusive Tasmanian tigers around? Reported sightings of the animal have continued frequently over the past 70 years. The Tasmanian Museum in Hobart (www.tmag.tas.gov.au) says it gets such a report about once a month. But despite this and several fruitless special expeditions into the hinterland, no one has yet been able to come up with a live specimen or even a new photo. Meanwhile, wildlife devotees who visit Tasmania are generally satisfied with scores of other curious creatures, including significant populations of kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, pademelons, and other marsupials -- a list led off by a very-much-alive, though dark and furtive, creature saddled with an unfortunate name -- the Tasmanian devil.
Farmers who have seen their chickens come out second best with night-adventuring Tasmanian devils are no more in sympathy with these black-velvet marauders than were their grandfathers, who contributed to the apparent extinction of the Tasmanian tiger. Today, however, the tigers (whether dead or alive), along with other warm and fuzzies who hop and lope around Tasmania, are recognized as valuable tourist attractions. Like those supposedly fierce little devils, many are genuinely Tasmanian, and are not endemic to the Australian mainland. Travelers can meet a genuine devils' advocate at the Trowunna Wildlife Park (www.trowunna.com.au) outside the tiny village of Mole Creek. Here, Androo Kelly (who changed the spelling of his first name), loves anything that hops, flies or crawls through life, and he has often served as a consultant to zoos in Australia and the United States. He swears he's known internationally as "the devil man." Some years ago, Androo's park was the headquarters for a last, determined attempt to track down and capture at least one more live Tassie tiger, and you may get the impression that Androo, for one, has not really admitted ultimate defeat. There are a half-dozen wildlife parks around Tasmania, but Androo's is dedicated principally to raising orphaned or injured creatures. One area is a sort of "retirement home" for old devils, and here Androo enters and pets two docile senior residents, Moriarty and Eumarrah. "Treated nicely, these are not fierce creatures," he said. "The trouble is that many farmers keep chicken wire around their birds. Chicken wire is fine for keeping chickens in, but not for keeping the devils out. Properly fenced, however, their chickens can be safe from these blokes."
He does, admit, however, that devils make an ear-splitting and rather frightening ruckus when they meet each other on the road. "That's just their way of saying 'Hi! How are ya!'" growled Androo loudly, almost in imitation of the devilish sound. Although wildlife parks are convenient for getting to know creatures of the bush, they are not the only way. Almost any place in Tasmania, one may come face to face with animals once thought by 18th-century Europe to be figments of the imagination of Australia's early explorers. Early morning or late evening walkers in the open countryside or perhaps among the trees and bushes in massive reserves like Cradle Mountain National Park are often blessed with guest appearances of various marsupials. Birds unknown in North America are seen and heard at any time of day. Morning often brings some special music in Tasmania as elsewhere in the Australian bush. The common Australian magpie seems to trill with a thousand different grace notes. And the kookaburra, known throughout Australia as the "laughing jackass," has a loud and unmistakable vocal solo that seems to go on forever. Perhaps the most intriguing birds in Tasmania, though, are the diminutive fairy penguins, probably seen best on Bruny Island, not far from Hobart. After a day of fishing, these little fellows return home just after dark to feed their offspring patiently waiting in tiny burrows. Those who make an effort, and who stand still and quiet enough to watch the process can witness this "penguin parade." Bright lights, including camera flashes, disorient the birds. But travelers who bring flashlights with red filters taped over the lens can easily and safely spot these devoted feathered family members as they waddle home from the sea.
Unfortunately, fairy penguins are often threatened by oil dumped from ships out at sea. When this seems about to threaten the feathered population, however, wildlife experts are ready to jump into action when needed, quickly dressing them up in little sweaters (called "jumpers"), that have been knitted for this purpose by senior citizens throughout the world. The jumpers soak up the oil, keep the birds warm and prevent them from preening themselves and being poisoned by the oil. Reportedly the birds don't particularly like their knitted outfits -- but it has saved the lives of thousands of the little creatures in Australia. Within Australia, Tasmania has a reputation more for good food than for its wildlife. The state's cool, southern latitudes result in high-quality fruits and "veggies," and promoters point out that many of the country's best chefs are attracted to the island to work their magic. Award-winning wines have begun to be produced here, too. The people here, who sometimes calls themselves "Taswegian," feel themselves a very separate entity from Australia as a whole: "You mean, the north island?" they may laugh good-naturedly. Actually, Hobart and Launceston are the second and third oldest cities in the country, after Sydney, and some of the most interesting and luxurious Victorian architecture reflects the gold discovery periods. Gold is still mined in Tasmania, and one mine has also become a tourist attraction. But for many travelers, tigers (real or imagined), devils, and their various pouched cousins will probably remain indefinitely to distinguish the island state of Tasmania. (Robert W. Bone, who lives in Hawaii, is the author of four guidebooks. )
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Australian Tourist Commission in the United States: 1-800-333-0262; 
