Tasmanian devils - in danger of extinction because of cancer?

Tasmanian Devils are today the largest surviving marsupial predators. They are only available on the Australian island of Tasmania. In 1999 about 100,000 of their kind were still alive. Their greatest threat today is transmissible cancer.  As a result the population has collapsed by 85%. It is feared that the species will die out in the near future.

The main problem of the devil

Young Tasmanian Devil,

picture: KeresH, www.wikipedia.org CC BY-SA 4.0

The disease that afflicts pouched devils is known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). The pathogen is an infectious tumor, that is, the cancer cells themselves are the transmitted pathogen. Only one more disease is known worldwide for such an infection path. In regions that were densely populated with devils, all of them died within a period of twelve to eighteen months. So far, the outbreak of the disease has focused on the eastern Tasmania. At the beginning of 2005, however, three cases were reported in the south of the island. If the development continues the same, Tasmanian devils will die out within the next 20 to 30 years. The living Tasmanian devils are all relatively closely related. As a result, their immune systems are very similar - a disadvantage in warding off this disease, as it can spread more easily.

Disease

Swelling and lumps around the mouth are the first symptom. These nodules develop into tumors that spread from the head over the entire body. The tumors disturb the animals when eating and affected animals eventually starve because they are no longer able to absorb food.

Conservation and cure

In March 2013, Cambridge University researchers found a starting point for a vaccine. There is still a need for more testing and research, but the new findings could, for the first time, provide a way to protect the planet's last great predatory planets from final extinction. Action is also taken to introduce an ex-situ survival plan. This means that zoos try to have a healthy population outside the devils natural habitat – for example in zoos outside Australia. Because of that Tasmanian devils are on exhibit in zoos as Copenhagen in Denmark oder Planckendael zoo in Beligium.