Sydney, Australia - Australian conservationists are celebrating the birth of their 500th Tasmanian devil, with the iconic animal rebounding thanks to an ambitious breeding program.

"Every single baby is so precious," Managing Director of Aussie Ark, Liz Gabriel said in a PR video. She added that reaching this milestone is fantastic for this endangered species. The population of which was decimated in the wild due to disease.

The cute baby, more commonly referred to as a joey, was named Milo. He is now four months old and has been released into the wild at the

Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. When Tasmanian devil babies are born, they spend most of their time in their mother's pouch for the first 100 days. In fact, as a sweet video shows, Milo was found in his mother's pouch.

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Aussie Ark in New South Wales, Australia maintains its own breeding program for Tasmanian devils. Until 2020, the feisty critter only existed on the island of Tasmania, to which they owe their name.

"This species is close to our hearts, and it’s the reason Aussie Ark was founded – to save them from extinction following the Devil Facial Tumour Disease in the mid-1990s," Aussie Ark said in their celebratory statement.

Tasmanian devils are extremely important to the balance in nature, explained Tim Faulkner, an Aussie Ark managing director: "It's an apex predator and protects and provides for the entire ecosystem."

The animals have been protected since 1941. Tasmanian devils have a powerful bite, red ears, a ferocious screech, and emit a foul odor when excited.