Tasmanian devil named Mary missing on Gold Coast, search underway

Sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones are being deployed as the search for a missing Tasmanian devil on the Gold Coast spans a second day.

The two-year-old marsupial, named Mary, escaped from the Paradise Country wildlife park in Oxenford on Tuesday morning, after arriving at the facility last month.

It is unclear how the animal broke out, but staff believe it leapt out of the quarantine enclosure.

Park officials said the perimeter had been scoured, with Queensland Police and Wildcare Australia also joining the search as it expanded into surrounding areas.

University of Queensland adjunct professor and captive animal management expert Al Mucci said he believed Mary was likely still nearby.

"There is a lot of natural bushland area surrounding Paradise Country, so she could move up to a kilometre or so," he said.

"She's probably a little bit scared because it's all new and maybe [she] found a little hidey spot near a log or a dog kennel even."

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Professor Mucci said the devils were "good climbers".

"We've had pretty horrible weather the last month and if branches fall into an enclosure — there's always a chance for a devil to climb out," he said.

He said while escapes like Mary's were rare, they had happened before on the Gold Coast.

"Every so often, a juvenile devil does escape its enclosure, but they've all been found," he said.

Devils easily attracted to traps, says expert

Paradise Country reopened on Wednesday morning, with visitors offering their well-wishes.

"It's a vulnerable time for it so I just hope it does get back safely," Elaine Redford said.

Tasmanian devils are extinct on the mainland and endangered in Tasmania, where less than 25,000 remain in the wild.

While generally shy, they can be aggressive when provoked or approached by humans.

Greg Owens, director of the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Hobart, said the marsupial would likely be found if it was still in the vicinity and food traps had been left out.

"At the end of the day devils are very adaptive, so the devil will probably be fine even if it's not caught," he said.

"But they're pretty easy to get in a trap, — if there's food they're attracted to it.

"So hopefully we'll be hearing of [Mary's] triumphant return in the next few days."

Paradise Country has urged anyone who saw Mary to contact Wildcare.

The park said the devil would receive a full vet assessment once it was found and returned to the facility.