Tasmanian Devil with Facial Tumour Disease. Credit: Menna Jones
By Rich Bowden:
Scientists have called on the Tasmanian Government to extend a “Noah’s Ark” plan to isolate healthy Tasmanian devils from a debilitating and fatal facial tumour disease.
The deadly cancer has killed around 70 percent of the devils in its home state of Tasmania and scientists began transporting healthy devils interstate four years ago as an insurance policy against the extinction of the endangered carnivorous marsupial.
However experts say that with only 200 devils moved as part of the Noah’s Ark option in the past four years, the Tasmanian Government needs to find an island sanctuary for the remaining healthy devils if they are to survive.
“They put a halt to collecting healthy animals at the end of last year,” said wildlife expert Peter McGlone to the ABC in a weekend report.
“They could have collected all 1,500 animals by now, [but] they simply do not have enough spaces in zoos and wildlife parks to put them. The disease, as we know, continues to spread west. We’re running out of time,” he added.
He called on the Government to transport healthy devils on an island to ensure their survival.
“…And so we’re calling on the Government now to actually commit to putting devils on islands. We believe there are a lot of large islands where devils would thrive,” he said.
Tasmanian Devil resting. Credit: Wayne McLean
Devil tour operator Geoff King told the ABC there had been discussions over placing devils on one of Tasmania’s small islands.
“Maria Island was talked [about] but there were others that were talked about, but they were in informal discussions so I’m not really prepared to flag them,” he said.
However Robert Warren from Tasmania Zoo, near Launceston, in the north of the state, denied there was a lack of space and said he had enough room to house the full targeted 1500 disease-free devils and had notified the Government of this.
Speaking to the Hobart Mercury he said: “I have the room to cater for the whole 1500 devils and I have told the department that at various times.”
“We had an agreement dated 2005 to receive all the orphans to go into our breeding program but we have not received any orphans since 2006 — all the good devils are shipped to the mainland,” he told newspaper.
Save the Tasmanian Devil Program spokesman Warwick Brennan defended the measure by saying that the devils’ insurance policy had been not to keep them in one region.
“We have always said we can’t just focus on intensively managed populations in parks,” Mr Brennan said.
Meanwhile the Greens have released a statement calling for the devils’ status to be upgraded from endangered to critically endangered.
Tarkine Road and the Devils
Greens Deputy Leader and Senator for Tasmania, Christine Milne, said in a statement that other factors would influence the danger to the devils.
“I am concerned last year’s decision by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to list the Tasmanian devil as endangered under the EPBC Act is based on information that doesn’t consider the impact of building a road through the Tarkine region,” she said.
Sen Christine Milne, 2007. Credit: Barrylb
“The research used for the committee’s decision predicts extinction within 25-35 years, but this doesn’t take into consideration the threat of a road ploughing through the final major area of disease free devil habitat.”
Senator Milne said she had contacted the federal Environment Minister on the matter and called on him to take into account the effect on devils of building an road through the Tarkine wilderness.
“I have written to the Minister for Environment, Peter Garrett with new peer reviewed evidence which cites the catastrophic effect of diseased devils entering a healthy system such as the Tarkine.”
“It demonstrates what can happen in clear felled areas poisoned with 1080, where unusually large congregations of devils gather and fight over poisoned meat and carrion.”
“I therefore call on the Minister to consider the consequences of approving this environmentally destructive road…The Tasmanian devil by comparison has declined by 70 percent over 13 years, and has reduced its numbers by six percent in just one year.”
“Minister Garrett must remember that if nominations for upgrading the devil’s status are successful, the next step is extinction. Is this the legacy he wants associated with his name and department?” she asked.
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