Tasmanian Devil Faces Extinction (PHOTOS)

Soon, the Tasmanian devil may only exist on episodes of "Looney Tunes." The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is endangered in the wild, due to a highly lethal contagious cancer.

The cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) has killed off up to 90% of the Tasmanian devil population since it was first observed in 1996, according to Scientific American. The cancer fills the animal's mouth with tumors, causing it to starve to death. The cancer is transmitted easily between Tasmanian devils because they bite each other while mating and fighting.

Sanctuaries are currently being built to isolate disease-free devils, in the hopes of breeding them and then releasing the animal back to the wild in the future.

One of the newest sanctuaries is Devil Ark, a 500-hectare conservation site in Australia. The project is currently trying to raise more money to keep the sanctuary operational. The first stage of the project was funded by the Australian government's "Save the Tasmanian Devil" program. The goal is to house over 1,000 Tasmanian devils. Reptile Park manager Mary Rayner tells ABC Sydney, "A lot is actually resting on the success of Devil Ark."

Hopefully the sanctuaries will find success in boosting the decimated devil population. Check out some photos of this incredible endangered species below.

1 of 13

Taronga Zoo Hold Baby Tasmanian Devil Paternity Test

1 of 14

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 22: Tasmanian Devil joeys are seen at Taronga Zoo on October 22, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Staff at Sydney's Taronga Zoo are conducting tests to determine the father of the four joeys in a bid to help the endangered species in the wild. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Climate Impacts Day: 350.org Campaign Connects The Dots Between Extreme Weather And Climate Change

The World Begins to 'Connect the Dots'

gadgets/slideshows/223989/slide_223989_930216_small.jpg

Tornado In France: F1 Storm Touches Down South Of Toulouse (VIDEOS)

State Of The Air 2012: American Lung Association Reports Improvements, Challenges

Green Festival 2012: Fostering Community And Sustainability In New York City And Beyond

Earth Week 2012 Challenges: Unplug Tuesday

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 22: Tasmanian Devil joeys are seen at Taronga Zoo on October 22, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Staff at Sydney's Taronga Zoo are conducting tests to determine the father of the four joeys in a bid to help the endangered species in the wild. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

comments(85)

Total comments: 85 | Post a Comment

1 of 14

Rate This Slide

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Freaky Amazing

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Top 5 Tasmanian Devils

loading...

Top 5 Tasmanian Devils

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[jimmyclean]

11:49 PM on 02/14/2011

Blundstone are extending a helping hand to the Devil. By sharing their new ad (which features a Tassie devil) they'll donate $1 to the Appeal, up to $10,000.

Go to devils.blundstone.com and let's help save the Tasmanian Devil.

[rayzrface714]

09:17 PM on 02/02/2011

Why do I have to find out about this on the Internet and not some "mainstream" source like Television that a major icon of the animal kingdom is almost 70% extinct and there is not a whiff of this calamity anywhere on a media outlet that considers itself an integral part of peoples lives. This is kind of disturbing and I hope these guys do not die off? Thank you.

[Carolyn Adams-Price]

10:44 PM on 01/25/2011

Tazzies are cool. When I saw them at a sanctuary outside of Adelaide, I noticed that they run around in circles all the time, kind of like the cartoon Taz. They are just about the only creature that has a transmissible cancer. The reason the cancer is transmissible is because the Tazzies are all so closely related to each that the cancer spreads from one to the next just like it would spread in a single creature.

[Michelle in CT]

01:50 PM on 01/25/2011

Look at those incredibly cute little nasty Tazzie faces...save the Tazzes!

[Peace Walker]

08:18 PM on 01/21/2011

The last marsupial predator.... the very last.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

07:04 PM on 01/21/2011

Tasmanian Devil Faces Extinction....

This is sickening.... they're such great little tough animals and have gotten much bad press over the years because of the sounds they make. I hope they can find a cure for this ugly viral curse.

[mike dougles]

09:00 AM on 01/21/2011

Thats what they get for fighting with Bugs Bunny.

[European1919]

08:21 AM on 01/21/2011

So there is no way of treating/vaccinating these cool devils?
How very sad :-(
90% in just 14 years ... that is very fast.

[Hugatreetoday]

10:34 AM on 01/21/2011

If this cancer is viral in its origin (not unlike the humanpapilloma virus contributes to cervical cancer) you would think they could develop some sort of vaccine.

[No stinking fans]

12:07 PM on 01/20/2011

Reminds me of my ex girlfriend, but i'm sure these have a better disposition.

[m2b]

12:02 AM on 01/20/2011

No explanation for the cause of the cancer??

[SteveDenver]

01:00 AM on 01/20/2011

I was startled to read that it is "easily transmitted." I never considered cancer to be communicable.

[mick621]

03:47 AM on 01/20/2011

not to play tasmanian devils advocate, but maybe it has something to do with the fact they are marsupials? maybe it makes them more prone to it? just a shot in the dark

[VirginiaJeff]

07:40 PM on 01/20/2011

 
I think some are caused by a virus, like cervical cancer.  (If I've mistated any of the science here, I apologize in advance.)

[Benjo333]

06:52 PM on 01/19/2011

How sad, such cute little devils...

[SteveDenver]

01:01 AM on 01/20/2011

The little ones LOOK cute, just like pandas and raccoons; but the cute ones can be the most vicious.

[mick621]

03:49 AM on 01/20/2011

i was under the impression they were considered vermin there, but still its sad when any creature goes extinct. oh well, at least the woolie mammoth will be back soon

[Michelle in CT]

04:54 PM on 01/19/2011

Save the Tazzes!

[axt113]

01:58 AM on 01/20/2011

Dizzy Devil's yucky!

[SWFL Diva]

03:29 PM on 01/19/2011

Very unusual looking creatures ... but then, lots of them are from that continent. They remind me of a cross between the koala bear and a large rat. Cute babies though ...

[mike dougles]

09:02 AM on 01/21/2011

For a really unusual creture google the tazmanian tiger, they are all dead now but very strange looking they have some video of them.

[Master-T]

03:15 PM on 01/19/2011

What is the cause of the cancer? I'd bet my entire savings the cancer is being caused (or at least initially caused) by "human progress". From wiki:

"A virus was initially thought to be the cause of DFTD,[27] but no evidence of such a virus could be detected in the cancer cells.[citation needed] Calicivirus, 1080 poison, agricultural chemicals, and habitat fragmentation combined with a retrovirus were other proposed causes.[48] Environmental toxins have also been suspected."

Gee, what a surprise. You mean all the chemicals that humans have sprayed all over the place could be the cause? I'm shocked! Shocked! That's only happened to about .... oh, I don't know .... thousands upon thousands of animals.

Well done people. Be proud. Another one biting the dust.

[siberiandreams]

06:59 PM on 01/19/2011

Yes and no. There is no evidence of a virus, instead it seems to be rare genetic mutation that popped up in the population. Long ago the Taz was on the mainland as well, but was wiped out there by natural (non-human) events, ending up on Tasmania alone. Within Tasmania, human encroachment over time has squeezed the Taz population to the point where more inbreeding occurred and a recessive gene like this popped up. The tumor is injected by biting, like a virus, except it is actual tumor cells transferred from one animal to another. Very sad, they have tried just about everything but the pace of spread of the disease seems even worse lately.

[m2b]

12:04 AM on 01/20/2011

Its cancer which is very often caused by herbacides and pesticides, especially poison such as 1080. These petrochemicals are carcinogenic.

[getsit]

03:05 PM on 01/19/2011

This saddens me. Astonishing creatures. It's important to isolate as many healthy animals as possible so this wonderful creature does not disappear from the planet along with so many others already gone.

[mick621]

03:50 AM on 01/20/2011

i agree but don't they get exterminated like vermin in populated areas? pesticides may be the cause

[getsit]

02:55 PM on 01/20/2011

I'm not sure what you are saying. These animals eat rats, mice, rabbits, insects all damaging to farmers crops. Sort of like a badger, or skunk, or racoon. If they were in such numbers to be a pest, like racoons and skunks can be, I can understand them being exterminated. When people put poisons out to kill rats and mice they can also poison these critters secondarily.