Devil Island

Episode 1

Mission Maria Island

Three Tasmanian devil joeys, Reba, Remmy and Ruben, prepare to leave life in captivity for an adventure into the wild that may hold the key to the survival of their species. Orphaned when their mother died of Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a devastating cancer epidemic that is sweeping Tasmania, Reba, Remmy and Ruben have never lived in the wild. Raised by wildlife carer Lorraine Deweys, their home is a breadbox, lunch comes in a bottle and they seek their comfort from a large stuffed toy. But while they are small and fluffy now, scientists hope the trio and many others like them will grow to become the predators they were born to be. In an ambitious plan to save the species, a rescue squad of scientists plans to take 15 healthy devils to the protected habitat of Maria Island, off the east coast of Tasmania, to start a new, disease-free dynasty. At 20 kilometres long and 13 kilometres wide, the island's Jurassic landscape of rugged mountains, lush bush and open plains are the perfect habitat for a new devil colony. It was once a penal colony but is now a National Park and Noah's Ark for iconic Australian animals such as the Forester kangaroo, Little Penguins, Wedge-Tailed eagles and the Flinders Island wombat. How will they cope when the world's largest marsupial carnivore arrives? First the team must select the most suitable devils for the program. They visit zoos and sanctuaries and run a formidable series of behaviour tests to ensure the chosen devils have the right personality profile to survive life in the wild. Will Reba, Remmy and Ruben make the final 15 on the squad?