Tasmanian devil Mary escapes Gold Coast theme park, recaptured after two weeks
Consensus Summary
A Tasmanian devil named Mary escaped from Paradise Country theme park on the Gold Coast on June 2, 2026, after making an unusually large leap over a fence. The two-year-old devil, described as normally shy, evaded capture for two weeks despite extensive search efforts involving drones, sniffer dogs, and traps. She was recaptured on June 17 in bushland near Kopps Road, Oxenford, less than 2km from the park, in an unstable condition and taken to a veterinary hospital. Evidence of her survival in the wild included devil droppings and remains of kangaroo and wallaby carcasses. Mary was separated from her companion, Mavka, and is currently stable under veterinary care for further diagnostic testing. The escape was deemed highly unusual given her typically cautious behavior.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Mary, a 2-year-old Tasmanian devil, escaped from Paradise Country theme park on June 2, 2026, via an 'abnormally large leap' over a fence.
- Mary was recaptured on June 17, 2026, in bushland near Kopps Road, Oxenford, less than 2km from Paradise Country.
- Mary was found in an 'unstable condition' and rushed to a specialist veterinary hospital for treatment.
- Mary left behind devil droppings and remains of kangaroo and wallaby carcasses in the surrounding bushland during her escape.
- Mary was separated from her companion, Mavka, who remained at Paradise Country.
- Village Roadshow Theme Parks operated the search and confirmed Mary is currently stable in veterinary care for diagnostic testing.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- CCTV cameras captured Mary skulking around deserted grounds at 4am on the morning of her escape (June 2).
- Mary is described as 'extremely shy' and 'tends to bunker down' when there is movement, making her escape behavior 'very, very abnormal' according to curator Lauren Mousley.
- The surrounding environment includes pockets of bush within 2km of the park, linked by creeks to the Gold Coast hinterland.
- The search involved sniffer dogs, thermal drone technology, and humane traps over the two-week period.
- Mary was found 'last night' (June 17) in Oxenford, specifically near Kopps Road.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Mary was found on 'Tuesday night,' while the ABC does not specify the exact time of recapture beyond 'last night' (June 17).
Source Articles
Tasmanian devil Mary found 2km from her Gold Coast theme park home after two weeks on the run
Carnivorous animal taken to hospital in an unstable condition after escaping from quarantine facility in Paradise Country on 2 June Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast After two weeks eluding thermal imaging drones and teams of zookeepers, a Tasmanian devil on the run in the Gold Coast has finally been found – and taken to hospital in an unstable condition. The devil, Mary, escaped a quarantine facility in the Paradi
Runaway Tasmanian devil Mary recaptured after two-week search
A spokesperson for Village Roadshow Theme Parks said Mary, the two-year-old marsupial, was found and recaptured overnight.