Tasmanian Devils to Be Relocated

The Tasmanian devils may be off to a new home. They have been residents of Canberra, Australia but because of a kind of contagious cancer, researchers and experts believe that a drastic move would be the answer to this problem. They would be relocated to an island off Australia to avert their extinction caused by a cancer that creates a facial tumor. The cancer appears a year or two after infection.

On Road to Extinction

Popularized by Looney Toons' cartoon character Taz, the Tasmanian devil is usually referred to as "the devil". Perhaps this is because of its extremely loud and disturbing screeching, and viciousness when feeding. The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial. It is fox-like in appearance and has a stocky and muscular body.

The female devil gives birth to 20 to 30 young, but since she has only four nipples, no more than 4 can survive birth. The devil's life expectancy in the wild is six years, although it may live longer in captivity.

In the mid-1990's the disease in the devils was first noticed in the state's northeast. In that area alone, about 90 percent of the devils are gone. If it continues to spread, it is predicted that in five years, all devils in Tasmania will be infected.

The move to Maria Island is becoming quite controversial, because the experts could only guess at the "impact the devils will have on the uninhabited island's ecology". Hamish McCallum, a professor of wildlife research at the University of Tasmania admits that the move is an unusual action. He believes, however, that the situation asks for an action like this.

McCallum is not too worried and opines that the risk that these marsupials will pose to other endangered species is minimal. The Tasmanian devil is primarily a scavenger and are unlikely to threaten other animals in the island that they would soon consider their home. Other advocates are optimistic that once the devils leave their old abode, the disease would die along with them. Critics, on the other hand, fear that the devil might threaten the endangered stag beetle or might cause problems with the bird nesting areas of the island.

Experts believe that the devil would most likely survive in the new island, because it is similar to their old habitat. Maria Island has previously been considered a species-saving haven. The cousin of the Tasmanian devil, the Tasmanian tiger was hoped to be saved in this place in the 1970's. Unfortunately, this hope did not materialize. Kangaroos overpopulated in this island, and hundreds had to be shot to prevent them from starving through overgrazing.

The Tasmanian devil is an iconic animal within Australia. It is a symbol of the Tasmanian National Park and Wildlife Service, as well as many teams of different popular sports in Australia. The devil was one of the six Australian native animals to appear on commemorative Australian two hundred dollar coins.