Tasmanian Devils

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice shots have you ever seen a wild one?

 

[BrentC]

How is the devil population doing with the cancer? Is it starting to recover?

 

[Gary A.]

Thanks for this thread. Very informative, especially if I ever run into the Devil, I won't let go of the tail. Thank you for all your good work.

 

[Terrier]

How is the devil population doing with the cancer? Is it starting to recover?

Quick answer - Yes. Devil Facial Tumour (DFT) the worlds only known contagious cancer that was 100% lethal within 5 months of contraction devastated the wild population in 2000/2001 and they were listed as critically endangered and were facing extinction. However this spurred the "authorities" into action and some serious research was initiated. A vaccine was developed and appeared to be working, captive animals (worldwide) were reintroduced to widen the gene pool and with careful management and a certain amount of luck the population increased to a level where they are no longer "critical" but remain endangered.

The research did suffer a minor setback when two vaccinated, released Devils developed DFT II, this was a concern, if it had been there all along not so bad, but if it was a mutation it was feared if it could mutate within a host, there was a possibility it could mutate to a different host animal although there is no evidence of this occurring (yet, fingers crossed).

But it is an "ill wind that blows no good", during the research scientists discovered a powerful 'peptide' in the milk of the females, this peptide is a powerful anti bacterial agent that stops bacterial infection common in Devils due to there (80%) carrion diet. Science has been able to synthesise this peptide and it is very effective in killing bacterial infections in humans and is tipped to be the next big thing as antibiotics begin to fail.

So yes the Devil is making a comeback.

Nice shots have you ever seen a wild one?

Yes, there is a wild population close to where I live (Huonville Tasmania) at present mostly on the Eastern and Southern side of the Huon River, but being almost exclusively nocturnal and rather elusive I am yet to get a decent shot of a wild critter.

 

[BrentC]

How is the devil population doing with the cancer? Is it starting to recover?

Quick answer - Yes. Devil Facial Tumour (DFT) the worlds only known contagious cancer that was 100% lethal within 5 months of contraction devastated the wild population in 2000/2001 and they were listed as critically endangered and were facing extinction. However this spurred the "authorities" into action and some serious research was initiated. A vaccine was developed and appeared to be working, captive animals (worldwide) were reintroduced to widen the gene pool and with careful management and a certain amount of luck the population increased to a level where they are no longer "critical" but remain endangered.

The research did suffer a minor setback when two vaccinated, released Devils developed DFT II, this was a concern, if it had been there all along not so bad, but if it was a mutation it was feared if it could mutate within a host, there was a possibility it could mutate to a different host animal although there is no evidence of this occurring (yet, fingers crossed).

But it is an "ill wind that blows no good", during the research scientists discovered a powerful 'peptide' in the milk of the females, this peptide is a powerful anti bacterial agent that stops bacterial infection common in Devils due to there (80%) carrion diet. Science has been able to synthesise this peptide and it is very effective in killing bacterial infections in humans and is tipped to be the next big thing as antibiotics begin to fail.

So yes the Devil is making a comeback.

Nice shots have you ever seen a wild one?

Yes, there is a wild population close to where I live (Huonville Tasmania) at present mostly on the Eastern and Southern side of the Huon River, but being almost exclusively nocturnal and rather elusive I am yet to get a decent shot of a wild critter.

Thanks for the info! Good news.

 

[Terrier]

A couple more of "Lucky".