There was no chance of a close-up with these little guys.

Keepers at the Ballarat Wildlife Park were cautiously handing over a $5000 cheque for Tasmanian Devil research this week - with everyone wondering out loud if the cardboard would survive the photo opportunity.

It comes after a pleasantly surprising $13,000 was raised on the first annual Devil Day with part of the proceeds going towards improved enclosures and handling equipment for Ballarat's sarcophilus harrisii trio.

"We've set December 10 as Tasmanian Devil Day - and we'll definitely be doing this again in 2023," mammal keeper Darren Collinson said.

"We want more parks to be doing this sort of thing and we're hoping it'll take off.

"The University of Tasmania has been doing research into a vaccine that they're hoping to get into the wild.

"The vaccine is still being developed. They're doing their best to save the species from facial tumor disease.

"One of our staff - Emma - came up with the idea in October and we discovered there was no specific day dedicated to Tasmanian Devils.

"We contacted UTAS and they thought it was an incredible initiative. They've supported it the whole way."

The day included extra educational presentations with little Devina, Neville and Vader - as well as a raffle.

An online auction also included a carefully supervised feeding encounter.

Local businesses came to the party with prizes including accommodation, meals, vouchers, paintings, hampers and even bronze casts of devil paws.

Face painters donated their time, the park's cafe made up devil-themed cakes and staff also handed out themed showbags.

"I was hoping we'd make at least $1000 or so - so $13,000 was incredible," Mr Collinson said.

"It really grew and people at the park got so excited about it and helped out on the day.

"They knew it was for a good cause.

"The biggest bit of feedback we've had so far is that the public loved it because it was about conservation.

"UTAS was really delighted too,"

The University said it was currently conducting research into vaccines via baiting and how to effectively introduce a vaccine into the wild population.

"We're absolutely delighted with this donation," UTAS Director of Advancement Rebecca Cuthill said.

"We're the primary charity for the facial tumor disease."

She said the illness was first documented by a photographer in North West Tasmania in the late 1990s, who sent the images to UTAS researchers.

It is one of only a handful of known contagious cancers - and is now present in all parts of the island.

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A second transmissible variant has also emerged in the Hobart area.

"With the funds from Ballarat, it will get pooled with other. donations and go towards vaccines out in the field as well as monitoring work," Ms Cuthill said.

"It will be spent on areas including immunology and ecology - with researchers as well as honors students."

She said the closest thing they had to a 'devil day' to date was World Threatened Species Day on September 7 - which marks the death of the last captive Thylacine in 1936.

People wanting to donate should go to utas.edu.au/devil

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