A healthy population of Tasmanian devils has been discovered in the state's remote south-west as part of a program to save the animals from extinction.

In a major breakthrough for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, the 14 devils were found to be free of the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease.

The disease has devastated the iconic species in recent years, with more than 80 per cent of the population wiped out in the last two decades.

Devils immunised with a vaccine against the virus have been released in the north of the state.

But there have been problems with the healthy devils bred in captivity being killed on the state's roads.

The healthy devils found in the south-west were trapped around the Wreck Bay and Nye Bay area and ranged in age from 18 months to five years old.

The Wreck Bay and Nye Bay area where the Tasmanian devil catchers worked. ( Supplied: Toledo Zoo )

"All were in good condition and importantly, there were no signs of disease," said lead scientist Dr Sam Fox.

Dr Fox said the age variance in the healthy animals was "a good sign to show disease is not present as we don't just trap devils as old as these in areas of the state where DFTD is found".

"The devils we caught are likely to have a large home range," she said.

"They are having to travel long distances along the coast to find food and are moving backwards and forwards as they forage for protein.

"We know this because we trapped the same devils two or three times in different locations between our trap sites that were kilometres apart."

Ear biopsies used to determine genetic differences

The project was a collaboration between Tasmanian scientists, the University of Sydney and the Toledo Zoo in Ohio in the United States.

Save the Tasmanian Devil Program Team Leader Sam Fox says the devil population in the area is small but healthy. ( Supplied: Toledo Zoo )

Researchers analysed tissue samples from the devils' ear biopsies in a bid to find out how genetically different the healthy devils are to infected populations.

"The data we collected on this trip can give us a rough population estimate, based on the capture mark capture process, looking at the number of devils captured and how many animals were new or recaptured," Dr Fox said.

Save the Tasmanian Devil Program manager Dr David Pemberton said the find was "very significant."

He said he was hopeful the isolated location would allow the population could remain disease-free.

"Facial tumour disease travels from devil to devil through the landscape and clearly in the past devils did get through there," Dr Pemberton said.

"It is very isolated geographically with terrain that devils tend not to cross. So to date it hasn't happened and with any luck it might not.

"But at least we're prepared now to get that genetic diversity out before it does get there."

"Finding devils with fresh genetic diversity gives us opportunities."

The button grass plains of the south west wilderness area are not ideal feeding areas for Tasmanian devils. ( Supplied: Toledo Zoo )

Dr Pemberton said the devils lived on the coastal fringes of the area where food was more abundant.

"The majority of the coastal terrain is button-grass plain which is not ideal for devils to find food," he said.

"The preferred areas had food sources for the devils such as pademelons and they also provided the right habitat for denning.

"They also scavenge along the coastline, looking for other protein such as washed-up fish or even something bigger like a whale or seal."

Scientists also collected scats to assess the genetic makeup of the devils.

The team members captured 14 devils which they say would have a large home range. ( Supplied: Toledo Zoo )

The program was funded through a crowd funding campaign by 106 donors.

Toledo Zoo president Jeff Sailor said he was honoured to be part of the mission to "help save an iconic species from the brink of extinction".