Tasmanian devils have been born in the wild in mainland Australia - more than 3,000 years after they were believed to have died out everywhere but Tasmania.

Seven young Tasmanian devils, known as joeys, were born this week at the 988-acre Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary in New South Wales, according to Australian nongovernmental organization Aussie Ark.

After the arrival of dingoes - a type of wild dog - Tasmanian devils became extinct on the mainland and were confined to the island of Tasmania. However, a spreading form of cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease, which has killed almost 90% of the population since its discovery in 1996, delivered another blow to their numbers.

Conservationists released 26 adult carnivorous marsupials into a sanctuary in 2020. It was the first step in establishing a viable population of the endangered animal, which has been ravaged by disease in its only remaining habitat on Tasmania.

They hoped that their efforts, which had been in the works for nearly a decade, would be as successful as the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. in the 1990s.

The creatures have successfully bred just months after their release, and conservationists have spotted the tiny marsupials, which they say are the size of shelled peanuts, inside the mothers' pouches.

The birth of the seven joeys has rekindled optimism at Barrington that a sustainable breeding population may be restored, potentially leading to free-roaming Tasmanian devils elsewhere on the continent.

According to Tourism Australia, female Tasmanian devils give birth to between 20 and 40 joeys at a time. The joeys sprint to their mother's pouch, which has only four teats. Those who make it to the pouch usually stay there for three months.

This ambitious experiment is still in its early stages, and many questions remain, such as whether a sustainable breeding population is viable. With the successful reintroduction of 26 adult devils - who have swiftly adapted to their new surroundings - and the birth of seven joeys, this initiative is off to a promising start.