At the car, Dale set up a folding table and jiggled it to find an even spot on the ground. He had an air of excitement about him as he laid out his gear, but Miki’s stomach was still grinding with angst. Dale demonstrated how to set the Polypipe traps by attaching a chicken wing bait to a string that connected to a wire pin in the door. If an animal went in and pulled on the bait, the pin would be triggered and the door would fall shut. He made it all sound so easy but, to Miki, the pipe looked dark and confined, and her misgivings intensified.

‘If we catch him, can you fix him?’ she asked.

Dale’s eyes locked with hers. ‘I wish I could,’ he said slowly, as if seeking the right words. ‘But if he has the disease it’s only a matter of time.’

A lump clogged Miki’s throat. ‘Till he dies?’

Leon was watching her. Something unspoken told her he understood what she was feeling.

‘I’m really sorry, but yes,’ Dale said. ‘It’s untreatable. A vaccine is being developed, but we’re not there yet.’

‘If you can’t make him better, what’s the point of catching him?’

Dale regarded her quietly and lowered his trap to the ground. His grey eyes were solemn. ‘I know this is very confronting, so I’ll try to explain. Facial tumour disease is a serious threat to devils and it could lead to extinction. We have several scientists working on different aspects of the disease, and my job is to map its distribution and the way it spreads so we can learn more about it. I can’t save your devil, but the information we collect from him could influence our knowledge and plans and help other devils. We won’t know what we’re dealing with unless I collect a sample.’

Miki glanced away, not wanting to show how upset she was.

‘I won’t hurt him,’ Dale went on. ‘Handling wildlife is a privilege, and I study these guys because I care about them. They’re quiet in these traps. It might surprise you. How about we give it a go? The chicken wings are in the esky. Devils love them.’

He handed Miki a trap, and Leon helped her fix a chicken wing in it. Then they set traps around the tip. Once the traps were in place, Miki sat in the Toyota with Geraldine while the men chatted outside. Geraldine unfolded a checked woollen blanket and spread it over her lap, then wriggled close and tucked it over Miki’s knees too, saying, ‘Cold out there, isn’t it?’