Chris Hemsworth is the mighty Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but offscreen, he’s just trying to help Australia. He recently helped Tasmanian devils return to Mainland Australia for the first time in years.

No, the Tasmanian devil is not just a cartoon character. Weighing up to 26 pounds, they are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials. They were dubbed “devils” because European settlers noticed their teeth-baring, lunging and growling. They also go “flying into a rage” when threatened, National Geographic notes. However, those devilish behaviors are mostly feeding rituals or defensive behavior.

The endangered species disappeared from Mainland Australia years ago, dying out after the arrival of dingoes and a contagious form of cancer called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD).

Tasmanian devils were living only in the island state Tasmania until recently. In September, married actors Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky helped release 11 devils into a wildlife sanctuary.

Barrington Tops in New South Wales is a 400-hectare (988-acre) wildlife sanctuary that is now the home to Mainland Australia’s Tasmanian devil population. The actors released the animals as part of a program with organizations Aussie Ark, Global Wildlife Conservation and WildArk to help improve population on the mainland. There are now 26 Tasmanian devils in Mainland Australia, and there are plans to add another 40 over the next couple of years.

“The re-introduction of devils to mainland Australia is a game-changer for conservation in this country, not only building a robust, genetically healthy population outside of Tasmania, but also paving the way for future introductions that the Aussie Ark team are already mapping out,” WildArk co-founder Mark Hutchinson said in a press release.

Tasmanian Devils
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky release Tasmanian devils at a wildlife sanctuary in September 2020. Courtesy of Aussie Ark
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