So, it’s embarrassing to admit it, but I was an adult before I realized that the Tasmanian devils are real, not just Bugs Bunny’s infamous, surly nemesis. It turns out that not only are they real, the fearless marsupials are an important part of the ecosystem of Australia’s wildlife. While a small population still exist on their namesake island, they have been absent from the mainland for 3,000 years, but now they are back!

After 16 years of preparation, Aussie Ark has just released 26 of the mammals (weighing in at an average of 18 pounds) into a 1000 acre sanctuary, Barrington Tops. Over the next few years they will be given increasingly more territory to re-establish and hopefully once again thrive.

In the words of Tim Faulkner, president of Aussie Ark, “It’s the stuff dreams are made of.”