Open Post: Hosted By The Tasmanian Devil Who Was Mistaken For A Dog Toy

Picture it — you’re Kirsten Lynch from Hobart, the capital of the Australian island state of Tasmania. You’re hanging out at home, around 10 pm on Wednesday, when your four-month golden retriever lets out a “very strange bark.” So, you run downstairs to grab your puppy’s Tasmanian devil-shaped plush toy. Suddenly, this “toy” scurries away before you can grab it. Oh shit. Has the toy become sentient a la Toy Story? Or is this an actual Tasmanian devil? Luckily for Kirsten (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), it was the latter. A Tasmanian devil had broken into her house!

via ABC:

She ran downstairs and went to pick up the puppy’s Tasmanian devil-shaped stuffed toy, when the plush “toy” started running. “I went to reach for it and the devil shot underneath the couch,” she said. “I got a fright of my life. I woke the whole family up. This little Tasmanian devil was hiding underneath my couch.”

Kirsten tells Australia’s ABC News that she believes the Tasmanian devil entered through the door; she sometimes leaves it open for the puppy, who’s being toilet trained. Kirsten says the animal was “very cute but it was very unusual.” Wikipedia says that these carnivorous marsupials aren’t known for randomly attacking humans. But if they’re scared (which this one obviously was), they could bite or scratch in defense. And with a baby puppy in the house, the main goal should be getting the little guy back outside where he (or she) belongs. But the Tasmanian devil was confused and frightened, and it kept hiding. Kirsten says:

“At one stage we had the whole family standing on the dining room table while my husband was trying to chase the poor thing out with a broom.”

Eventually, Kirsten’s husband’s efforts paid off, and the devil left. Kirsten caught some of the chaos on film:

Because the animal didn’t appear hurt, the family decided not to call wildlife authorities. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary director Greg Irons says that this is the time of year when young devils leave their mothers. While looking for food, they may wander into suburban areas and investigate pet food and water bowls.

Kirsten and her family better thank their lucky stars that the real-life Tasmanian devil wasn’t anything like its Looney Tunes counterpart. Can you imagine that ferocious cartoon beast inside a human home? Kirsten’s house would look like one of those tornado-aftermath videos. Small favors!

Pic: ABC/Kirsten Lynch