The Big Tasmanian Devil.

The story

The Big Tasmanian Devil is one of the Big Things genre's more modest entries — 2 metres by 3 metres of fibreglass devil at the entrance to a wildlife sanctuary. He's not climbable, not a theme park, and not in a tourist hub. What makes him significant isn't his size but his purpose: he's the public face of Australia's most important Tasmanian Devil conservation program.

Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary opened in 1979 as a privately-owned wildlife refuge on 82 acres of native Tasmanian bushland, roughly 4 kilometres east of the Mole Creek township in northern Tasmania. The sanctuary began taking in injured and orphaned native wildlife from across the state, and from 1985 onwards specialised in Tasmanian Devils — a species that was healthy at the time but would face an existential crisis from the 1990s onwards as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) began devastating wild populations.

DFTD is a contagious cancer — one of only a handful of known transmissible cancers across all species — that spreads between devils through biting (which devils do constantly during mating and feeding). It causes facial tumours that prevent the affected devils from eating, leading to death by starvation. Wild Tasmanian Devil populations crashed by an estimated 80% between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s. The species is now classified as endangered, with active conservation programs across Tasmania trying to save it.

Trowunna became one of the most important parts of that conservation effort. Their captive breeding program operates with one of the largest healthy populations of Tasmanian Devils in the state, providing genetic diversity and disease-free animals for the broader recovery program. The sanctuary is also home to wombats, wallabies, quolls, eagles, and other Tasmanian wildlife — but the devils are the star attraction. The Big Tasmanian Devil at the entrance was installed to mark the sanctuary's identity from the road, and has become an icon in his own right.

"Trowunna has had Tasmanian Devils on display since 1985 and proudly claims to have the largest population of endangered Tasmanian devils as well as an impressive collection of marsupials, birds and reptiles." — Aussie Towns, on Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary

Visiting the Big Tasmanian Devil

The Big Tasmanian Devil stands at the entry track to Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, on Mole Creek Road. You can see and photograph him from the road without entering the sanctuary — he's visible from the entry track. If you want to also visit the actual sanctuary (and see real Tasmanian Devils up close), that requires sanctuary admission and is well worth doing.

What's at the site

• The Big Tassie Devil himself — 2m × 3m fibreglass sculpture at the entrance track to the sanctuary.
• Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary — 82 acres of native bushland, working conservation sanctuary, captive breeding program for Tasmanian Devils, plus wombats, wallabies, quolls, eagles, and other Tasmanian wildlife. Keeper talks at scheduled times throughout the day.
• Mole Creek township — small village 4km west. The Mole Creek Hotel is a working country pub with food and basic accommodation.
• Sculptures of the Great Western Tiers trail — Mole Creek sits within this regional sculpture trail; pick up the illustrated brochure from the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre in Deloraine for the broader experience.

About Tasmanian Devil conservation

Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are the world's largest carnivorous marsupial — about the size of a small dog, with a famously powerful bite (relative to body size, the strongest of any living mammal). Once found across mainland Australia, they were driven to extinction on the continent around 3,000 years ago (possibly due to dingo competition) and survived only in Tasmania, where they remained common until the 1990s.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease, first identified in 1996, has reduced wild populations by an estimated 80%. The species is now classified as endangered under both Tasmanian and federal legislation. Active conservation efforts include captive breeding programs (like Trowunna's), disease research, the "Insurance Population" of disease-free devils maintained on Maria Island off Tasmania's east coast, and ongoing field monitoring. Trowunna's contribution is one of the most significant captive populations in the country.

What else is nearby

Mole Creek sits within Tasmania's Great Western Tiers — limestone karst country with caves, walking trails, and the Mole Creek Karst National Park. After the Big Tassie Devil and Trowunna, easy add-ons include Mole Creek Karst National Park (Marakoopa Cave and King Solomons Cave tours), Devils Gullet (40 minutes south, dramatic clifftop viewing platform), and Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park (1 hour southwest). See our full northern Tasmania travel guide for the comprehensive itinerary.

For other Tasmanian Big Things, the closest is The Wall in the Wilderness at Derwent Bridge (2 hours south, working timber sculpture gallery) and the Big Penguin at Penguin (1.5 hours northwest, on the Bass Strait coast).

Trivia worth knowing

• The Big Tasmanian Devil is 2 metres by 3 metres — modest by Big Things standards.
• He stands at the entrance to Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, which has been operating since 1979 and breeding Tasmanian Devils in captivity since 1985.
• Trowunna claims to hold the largest captive population of endangered Tasmanian Devils in the state.
• Wild Tasmanian Devil populations have crashed by an estimated 80% since the mid-1990s due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer.
• The species was officially classified as endangered in Tasmania in 2008 and federally in 2009.
• Trowunna is part of the Sculptures of the Great Western Tiers regional art trail, which includes works by 15 different Tasmanian artists across the region.
• Mole Creek itself takes its name from a local creek that "disappears into the local karst limestone like a mole".