Devil Ark: Save the Tasmanian Devils

[Ashen Key]

The ABC (Australian version...) had a segment on this place the other night, and given just how important their work is, I thought I'd give them a boost.

Devil Ark

High in the hills of Barrington Tops in NSW is Devil Ark – a conservation breeding program for the Tasmanian devil.

The iconic Tasmanian marsupial is at serious risk of extinction from the highly contagious devil facial tumour disease (DFTD).

Since the discovery of DFTD in 1996, Tasmanian devil numbers have plummeted. Only 15% of the original population survives in the wild. Infection means certain death for the devil – but only after a horrific illness. Starvation, dehydration and the breakdown of vital organs kills the devil within six months of them contracting DFTD.

The race is on to breed large numbers of Tasmanian devils away from the disease-front. It is also critical that these devils are genetically diverse and are raised in a way to ensure they can be released into Tasmania once DFTD has run its destructive course.

This is where Devil Ark plays a vital role.

Why is Devil Ark so special?

Devil Ark is the largest conservation breeding program for the Tasmanian devil on mainland Australia.

At an altitude of 1,350 metres, Devil Ark provides the perfect breeding environment for devils. The Tasmanian-like vegetation and cool, wet and snowy conditions means the devils feel right at home!

Devil Ark is very different to a zoo where small enclosures mean loss of natural behaviour. Devils at Devil Ark are kept in a natural environment to maintain their wild behaviour and our keepers intervene as little as possible. This means a cost-effective and devil-friendly approach.

Their website is here, and I really recommend you look around. They've had their first successful breeding season, and so they need to build more dens and more enclosures in time for next season. And for that, they need more donations, which you can do via their website.

[Pa'li Makto]

That facial disease/cancer is the most horrible thing to ever happen to any of our wildlife except for torture. That breeding program is a great idea!! I hope they get more funding so the Tasmanian Devil can be saved as a species.

[Human No More]

I didn't even know they were endangered.

[Pa'li Makto]

Really? Not even through the news or wildlife channels on tv?
This has been going on for years.

[Raiden]

I heard about the contagious face-cancer a while back.

What a terrible way to go... :<

Also, Pa'li, yeah it hasn't gotten much coverage here in the US...I can't say whether or not there's been any stories about it in the UK, but something tells me not many people outside Australia know about the problem.

[LOVEavatar]

Never heard of this either, but I wish for whatever happens it is for the little guys best.

[Pa'li Makto]

Originally Posted by Raiden

I heard about the contagious face-cancer a while back.

What a terrible way to go... :<

Also, Pa'li, yeah it hasn't gotten much coverage here in the US...I can't say whether or not there's been any stories about it in the UK, but something tells me not many people outside Australia know about the problem.

That's such a shame. I suppose there's just more coverage for cute animals like Giant Pandas or Penguins then there is for Tasmanian Devils..
Lucky Ashen Key put this on here so we can all spread the word.

[ahoragi]

How did they contact this disease in the first place? Will these protected-then-released devils have the risk of getting the same disease once released?

[Human No More]

It's a form of cancer, just one that is transmissible (which is very rare).

From the site, it seems they're trying to preserve population numbers and genetic diversity, in order to release later when the wild population isn't showing signs of the disease.