Why are Tasmanian devils going extinct? Unique mammal caught by mistake release in secret location amid poaching concerns

An unusually white-spotted Tasmanian devil was trapped on private land but released into a secret location after concerns regarding poaching. According to ABC News, the rare devil underwent a health assessment at a Tasmanian wildlife park on its east coast before officials released it back into the wilderness.

Scientists have classified Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) as endangered because numerous threats endanger the world's largest living carnivorous marsupials. These animals previously inhabited mainland Australia but remain limited to Tasmanian territory today. The population has declined by 80% in the last two decades, claims Zoos Victoria.

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Historical factors behind their decline

The species disappeared from the mainland of Australia thousands of years ago, and the exact reasons are unknown. Some of the possible reasons are climate change, human expansion, and the introduction of dingoes.

In Tasmania, early European settlers made the species more vulnerable by introducing bounties, blaming them for the death of livestock.

This led to aggressive hunting, and they were almost wiped out between 1830 and 1940.

In 1941, protection laws were established, but government permits granted for culling procedures delayed the return of devils to healthy population levels.

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Devil Facial Tumor Disease

DFTD represents the principal present-day menace against Tasmanian devils, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, since it was discovered in 1996, thus causing a massive population decline.

Devils acquire the disease by normal biting behavior, which transmits the fatal tumors that result in their death within six months. Research indicates that DFTD has destroyed eighty-five percent of the Tasmanian devil populations.

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Conservation efforts

Conservationists, together with scientists, aim to prevent Tasmanian devils from becoming extinct due to the DFTD transmissible cancer. Tasmanian devil conservation plans consist of:

Vaccination programs: Scientists continue researching the development of vaccines to prevent DFTD spread between Tasmanian devils.

Genetic research: Research into Tasmanian devil genetics explores both population diversity levels while identifying individuals who naturally resist DFTD. Population management through these efforts will help safeguard the genetic composition of Tasmanian species.

Breeding Programs: Tasmania Zoo's Devil's Heaven and Aussie Ark's Devil Ark are part of breeding programs, which breed devils in a methodical fashion to maximize genetic diversity. Zoos Victoria has also been breeding and managing up to 50 devils in Healesville Sanctuary as part of the long-term insurance program called Save the Tasmanian Devil.

Reintroduction strategies: The Recovery Ecology team is working on strategies to improve the survival rates of released devils, including methods to reduce aggression and encourage settlement by familiarizing them with the scent of their scat. A total of 20 immunized captive-bred Tasmanian devils were released in the Tasmanian national park of Narawntapu in September 2015.

The survival of Tasmanian devils relies on the conservation of their natural habitat for their continued existence. Habitat disturbance can uncover dens, which increases pup mortality.

Road safety: There are efforts to minimize the killing of devils by vehicles on roads, which is another major threat to the population.

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Signs of hope

While the situation remains dire, recent developments provide hope. Some devils are showing signs of natural resistance to DFTD, and conservation efforts have slowed the decline.

Scientists are optimistic that the species will survive with continued research, habitat protection, and public awareness campaigns.

In 2019, Dr. Rodrigo Hamede of the University of Tasmania told the BBC that they have created scenarios based on the rates of infection that are already occurring in the wild.

Of their forecasts over the next century, 22% foresee coexistence and 57% see DFTD dying out.