Tasmanian devil bludgeoned to death: necropsy

A Tasmanian devil sent to the US as part of a breeding program has been killed after being struck on the head with a block of bitumen.

Staff at Albuquerque BioPark Zoo in New Mexico found four-year-old male Jasper's body on Wednesday but did not suspect foul play, the ABC reports.

"The first suspicion of how the devil died was that it was possibly killed by another devil," a police report states.

"After the necropsy was completed the veterinarian (Ralph) Zimmerman found a small piece of the devil's skull fractured, staff went back to the enclosure."

They then discovered two large chunks of asphalt in the pen.

Police believe someone may have entered the roped-off area to attack the endangered creature.

Jasper arrived at Albuquerque BioPark Zoo from the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria last December.

It was one of four devils held at the New Mexico wildlife park as part of a breeding program to help boost dwindling numbers.