Devils under Threat

You may spot some dead Tasmanian devils alongside some of the rural roads in Tasmania. These devils are attracted to the road, especially at night, by the smell of roadkill, and that's when the devils themselves are sometimes run over by cars or trucks. Drivers in Tasmania should take extra care at night, and not exceed the speed limit – not only to protect devils, but other wild animals too.

However, at the moment there is a far greater threat to devils in Tasmania. It is called Devil Facial Tumour Disease or DFTD for short:

Devil = Tasmanian devil
Facial = Because it tends to occur on the face
Tumour = Cancer/neoplasm/growth
Disease = Illness/sickness/disorder

Devil Facial Tumour Disease is a very rare form of cancer and scientists think it may be transferred from one devil to another when devils bite one another while they are fighting or mating.

Devils that have this disease usually have lumps or lesions (areas where the skin is swollen, broken or bleeding) in the face or on the neck. These lumps grow into ugly, larger tumours.

Adult devils seem to be most affected by this disease. It is a type of cancer, and devils with this cancer usually have problems eating food. This makes them weaker, because they can't get their share of the food. Once they show signs of the disease, devils usually die in about three to six months.

How does the disease affect the devil population?

The devil population has declined by 70 percent since the early 1990s. You can see why it is such a big problem, and why scientists are working hard to find out how to limit the spread of the disease, and cure it.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) was first noticed in the north-east of Tasmania in the mid-1990s but has since become a much bigger problem because so many devils have been affected.

The strange thing about DFTD is that is has only been found in certain parts of Tasmania. In other parts the devils appear to be quite healthy. The disease mostly affects devils that are older than two years, although sometimes devils as young as one can also become infected. Scientists fear that if we lose too many adult devils, the devil population will take a very long time to recover. It also means females only live long enough to breed once (three breeding cycles is the norm).

What is being done about the disease?

There are three important things being done to find a solution and help the devils.

1. Scientists are studying the disease in the laboratory to find out what types of cancer cells are involved. This is precise and detailed work because the cancer cells, blood cells and other tissues have to be analysed to find the source of the problem. If they find the answer, they should be able to find possible causes for the disease.
   
   
2. Experts are investigating the disease and working out plans to make sure that a large group of devils will survive, no matter what happens. This management plan includes putting some healthy devils in quarantine – in other words separating them from devils that do have the disease. These devils can then be used in captive breeding programs if necessary.
   
   
3. Wildlife officers are monitoring devils in the wild, for example by capturing some of them and testing them for the disease before releasing them, or by using remote sensor cameras to take pictures of them, which helps to spot both healthy devils and ones that may be sick. This tells us how many devils are affected by the disease in certain areas, the age of the animals and whether they are male or female. It can also tell us whether the population is recovering from the disease or not.

How you can help

Anyone in Tasmania can help our devils by collecting information. If you see an injured or sick devil, you can contact the Wildlife Management Branch (the number is further down on this page). Just remember, put your own safety first. Keep off the road, especially where there is heavy traffic or where it is difficult to see approaching traffic. Also, do not handle any devil that you find.

These notes will be helpful:

1. Where the devil was found.


2. Its age and sex. Young devils are about the size of a cat, have short canine teeth and weigh about 5 kg, while adult devils weigh about 6 kg and often have old scars on their faces or bodies.


3. Its physical condition: good, medium or poor. If its tail is fat, it usually shows it's in good condition


4. If the devil looks sick or not (a photo is best, if you carry a camera)


5. If it's still alive, how does it behave? (Does it walk slowly or fast for example?)

If you have a report about a Tassie devil or need advice, please call our Wildlife Management Branch on this number: (03) 6233 6556.

Links to our (adult) websites

For more information, go to the Save the Tasmanian Devil website at:

• www.tassiedevil.com.au

Or visit the main website of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment:

• Information about Devil Facial Tumour Disease
• How remote cameras are used to monitor devils