About Tasmanian Devil Disease

The endangered Tasmanian devil may face extinction in the near future if the rapid spread of Tasmanian devil disease, or devil facial tumor disease, continues. Tasmanian devil sightings have declined by 70 percent since the first cases of DFTD appeared in northeastern Tasmania in 1996.

  1. The Facts

    • As of December 2008, DFTD has afflicted devils in 64 locations in over 60 percent of Tasmania. Close to 83 percent of adults trapped in any one site show signs of the disease. As of February 2009, healthy populations continue to exist in the western third of Tasmania, although the disease is spreading in that direction.

    Significance

    • The highly contagious DFTD spreads from one devil to another through biting. Tasmanian devils lack genetic diversity, causing their immune systems to accept the cancerous cells instead of rejecting them. This disease primarily affects adults, but can also be found in juvenile devils.

    Symptoms

    • Tiny lumps and lesions inside or around the mouth indicate the presence of DFTD. These grow into large tumors mainly covering the face and neck. As the disease advances, cancers develop in several areas of the body, leading to death in a matter of months from the initial onset. Devils with mouth tumors that prevent them from feeding die from starvation.

    Conservation Efforts

    • The Department of Primary Industries and Water in Tasmania founded the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program in 2003. Measures taken to protect Tasmanian devils include monitoring both diseased and healthy populations, studying the disease in an effort to identify the cause and stopping the spread of the disease by preventing devils from moving to locations where no cases of DFTD have been reported.

    Insurance Population

    • The Insurance Population, started by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program in 2005, consists of devils taken from areas with no occurrence of DFTD. Sustaining genetic diversity over the next 10 to 20 years requires at least 500 breeding devils. As of February 2009, 145 devils that are free of disease have been moved to mainland Australia to help ensure the continued survival of the species.