Endangered Species: The Tasmanian Devil

Once found all over the continent of Australia, the Tasmanian Devil is now confined to the state of Tasmania, an island off of Australia’s southern coast. These creatures are found in all terrains throughout Tasmania and make their homes in underground burrows. Known for their ferocious feeding habits and piercing screech, the Tasmanian Devil has one of the strongest bites per unit body mass of any other land mammal.


Sightings of devils have dropped by 64 percent in the past decade, according to Warwick Brennan, spokesperson for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, a joint effort of the state government and the University of Tasmania. Current population estimates fall between 10,000 and 25,000. Populations have been afflicted by an onset of large facial tumors that form on the face and neck, making it impossible to eat. Many of the afflicted animals subsequently die of starvation. The cancer is contagious, and is transmitted when one devil bites another.
Ray Nias of WWF Australia’s conservation program explained that Tasmanian wildlife would suffer if the devil disappeared, because it has prevented alien predators — such as foxes and feral cats — from exploding in number. “If the devils go, and the foxes and cats increase, it would be all over for a good dozen or more species of mammals — many of which are unique to Tasmania … not to mention lizards and ground-dwelling birds.” Captive breeding of uninfected individuals has been instituted and efforts have been made to develop a vaccine for the cancer, which is thought to have stemmed from mutated cells from a single specimen.
What is needed is wider recognition and education of the effects of Tasmanian devil endangerment on Australia’s ecosystem. To avoid such destructive consequences, further money and time must be invested in Devil conservation, captive breeding, and biological research.
Why Bother with Conservation?
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