TRAVERSE Issue 23 - April 2021 | Page 112

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us however , something had been with us . We ’ d both slept soundly and hadn ’ t heard what can only be described as the blood curdling growls , grunt and screams that would ’ ve been on those woods . Our camp was surrounded by scat , a stench so putrid that we both took a step back .
“ That ’ s dog shit ,” Megan placing her hand to her face .
“ No , I think it ’ s devils ,” I had no idea , yet it seemed logical , we were on the fringe of one of the World ’ s most untouched wildernesses , a place where Tasmanian Devils are found .
“ Yeah , I ’ m pretty sure it ’ s Tassie Devils ,” I confirmed . “ I ’ ve seen enough turds to know this is carnivore .”
I was impressing myself ; I know a lot about shit . Yet , excitement soon turned to disappointment when realising that we ’ d potentially had a few of these unique animals around us and didn ’ t even realise . You see , the Tasmanian Devil is highly endangered due to a cancerous condition known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease that has claimed up to 90 % of the whole population in just the last 25 years . It ’ s a horrifying statistic that implies another Australian native species will be extinct within our lifetimes .
As we packed our camp it was hard to imagine such a place as Granville Harbour existing . Home to around 30 people , it seemed nothing more than a collection of huts , sheds and more modern homes used for holidaying Tasmanians . The region was originally founded as a soldier settlement after World War 1 , yet never really took off and today the greater area is home to a prime cattle farm that contains a state-ofthe-art windfarm . Hard to imagine considering an untouched wilderness lay just to the north .
Crossing the Pieman River , begins the Tarkine region , an area with the
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