A Hobart woman and her children have taken refuge on top of their dining table as a little Tasmanian devil made its way around their suburban house, chased by the woman's husband.
About 10pm on Wednesday Kirsten Lynch heard her four-month-old golden retriever puppy give "a very strange bark".
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."
Ms Lynch lives next to bushland in Sandy Bay and sometimes leaves the door open for her puppy that's being toilet trained — she believes that was when the little opportunist decided to sneak in.
"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," she said.
"It was very cute but it was very unusual."
After a few minutes of hide and seek, the devil took off for the bush outside.
Because it did not appear to be hurt, the family decided not to call Bonorong wildlife sanctuary.
Bonorong director Greg Irons said this was the time of the year when juvenile animals wandered into suburban areas.
"There's a lot of young ones that are leaving their mothers and they're heading out to try and find their way. That's obviously a pretty tough gig," he said.
"When you're young, you don't know where food is, you don't know where water is."
Animals seeking water investigate pet food and water bowls, he said.
On Thursday morning alone, Bonorong received two call-outs from members of the public about Tasmanian devil spottings, with team members responding to a juvenile Tasmanian devil hiding underneath a dog kennel in Huonville in Tasmania's south and a young devil hit by a car in the north.
A week ago, a Tasmanian devil was seen roaming the streets of West Hobart before it was taken to taken to Bonorong, reportedly "riddled" with facial tumour disease.
"When we do see one in a suburban area it's not necessarily because it's just exploring or we're pushing it out of its zone. That one was absolutely starving just looking for something to eat," Mr Irons said.
"There's a sure sign that something is very, very likely wrong if they're out during the daytime."
Members of the Tasmanian public who find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife are advised to contact Bonorong Wildlife Rescue on 0447 264 625 (all hours, statewide)
