Wildlife groups in Victoria are looking into the possibility of establishing a free-ranging, wild population of Tasmanian devils on mainland Australia.
The groups planned to try and boost numbers of the marsupial carnivore, whose population had dwindled substantially since the emergence of Devil Facial Tumour Disease or DFTD.
The University of Melbourne said DFTD is a unique form of transmissible cancer that had seen the animal's population drop by 86 per cent since 1996.
The species had no natural resistance to the fatal disease and the plan would see uninfected devils moved to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria as an insurance measure.
University of Tasmania Professor of Wildlife Conservation Chris Johnson said since they once roamed across mainland Australia, Tasmanian devils could easily adapt to the Victorian bush.
"Devils used to be widespread across Australia until quite recently, that's in the history of the species a few thousand years ago. So it makes sense to put it back," he said.
Professor Johnson said the survival of the species depended on the establishment of large populations away from Tasmania where many Tasmanian Devils were infected with DFTD.
There were also theories that devils could help the ecosystem of mainland Australia.
"It's possible that devils could help control the impact of feral cats and foxes," Professor Johnson said.
Zoos Victoria said research to date had indicated that Wilsons Promontory in Victoria was likely to be the best location if the plan was to proceed, but further work was needed to ensure that it was the right location before any formal plan was put forward.
