The life of a Tasmanian devil
Photojournalist Heath Holden champions the Endangered Tasmanian devil.
Photojournalist Heath Holden champions the Endangered Tasmanian devil.
Why did you choose to document Tasmanian devils?
High quality images of wild Tasmanian devils seemed to be missing from the photography world. I used camera-traps to capture images of this fascinating species.
What is so special about these creatures?
The Tasmanian devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial now that the thylacine is said to be extinct.
Why is the Tasmanian devil worth saving?
The devil is facing an uncertain future due to a contagious facial tumour spreading through the population.
Tasmanian devils are scavengers, but will actively hunt if they need to and have been known to devour a whole carcass.
Top predators in the food chain need to be saved to ensure the ecosystem remains balanced.
What is going on in your Tasmanian devil video?
The video is a mix of clips that I’ve gathered over the past two years on the northwest coast of Tasmania while looking for areas to locate my camera-traps.
Footage includes devils with large tumours (these individuals will now be dead), drinking from a flooded section of creek, investigating the camera-trap, a joey on its mother’s back and a joey playing with a tree branch.
Watch Heath’s Tasmanian devil video:
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTvC3G4M3D8 width:480 height:360]Find out how the Tasmanian devil protects diversity in the Spring issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.
Heath Holden is a photojournalist currently based in Tasmania, Australia.
He is working on an ongoing project documenting wild Tasmanian devils in their natural habitat and other unique locations.
Heath was awarded commended in the Animal Portraits category of the BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2013 competition.
