Aussie Animal Island - Season 1

At the Save The Tasmanian Devil Program HQ in Hobart, wildlife vet Sarah Peck, Phil Wise and their team have hatched a plan to create an ‘insurance population' of disease-free Devils. They'll live wild on a remote island location away from contagion - Maria Island off Tasmania's east coast.

Meanwhile, a crack team of scientists and zoologists are putting Tasmanian Devils through a variety of tests to see if they have what it takes to fend for themselves in the wild. The chosen few will be transported to the island to start their new lives out of captivity.

To survive in the wild, the devils must shy away from human contact but remain curious about their surrounds.

First up is Reba. To earn her spot in the Maria Island squad she must avoid the food hidden under a beach ball, a test designed to determine whether she'll avoid human temptations on the island. Reba passes the test but, to prevent inbreeding, brother Ruben misses out. The devils are released into a large enclosure where a hierarchy emerges as Big Jimmy hogs the food and hapless Manny goes without.

Once training is complete, the scientists put the devils through final health checks and fit five lucky recipients with GPS collars so they can track their every move. Then comes the moment they have waited for – the culmination of three years of planning and hard work – as the scientists load the boat and set off for Maria Island to release the devils into the wild.

The third episode of Aussie Animal Island follows 15 Tasmanian devils released into the wild in a disease-free environment in a desperate attempt to save the species from extinction.

The devils explore their new home, finding plenty of strange sights and smells in the forests, beaches, open fields and dense scrub.

The fourth episode of Aussie Animal Island follows the devils through a scorching summer and some of the hottest days on record.

With the icy Antarctic winds long gone, the devils are struggling to cope in their new environment. Wild devils are nocturnal but this hand-reared squad has a lot to learn. Instead of cooling in a burrow, the devils are lying around in the hot sun.

In the fifth episode of Aussie Animal Island, Reba, one of the eight female devils, has finally got the hang of finding food. Now she must find a mate to breed a new generation of disease-free devils.

As breeding season draws near, the scientists set traps around the island to capture and examine each of the devils to ensure they are healthy and ready to mate.

But it's not just the devils who are getting ready to breed as the male wombats and forester kangaroos put on rare displays of masculine aggression to conquer their competitors and court their mates.

The future looks bright for the Tasmanian devils as all eight females prepare to have joeys, making the scientific project a resounding success. As devil facial tumour disease continues to ravage the population a few miles away on the mainland, Reba, Remmy and the others give new hope the species can be saved.