Tasmanian devil

Introduction

The Tasmanian devil are the marsupial that exists only in the Tasmanian island in Australia hence the name. The Tasmanian devil is therefore with no doubt able to be mistaken or confused for any other existing marsupial. This is mainly as a result of its unique features such as spine-chilling screeches, also its black colour, as well as the reputed bad-temper all of which made it to be  called The Devil by early European settlers in Australia (Markel, 2005). Despite its size being equivalent to that of a small dog it can actually sound or even look incredibly fierce.

The Tasmanian devil is actually at verge of extinction if adequate measures are not taken. It  is also the only largest surviving carnivorous marsupial that is  surviving in the world. It usually has a squat build, thick-set, and a relatively big, wide head whereas its  tail is  short and thick. The fur of the devil is at times or wholly black, however there are white markings that  frequently occur on their chest and  rump. There  sizes usually greatly vary and its mainly dependent on the habitat and diet whereby the adult males are always larger  compared to adult females (Owen & Pemberton, 2006).

The Tasmanian devils usually has  a long history whereby the devils once occurred on the Australian mainland, with their fossils been widely found throughout Australia. However, it is widely understood and believed that the devil went extinct on the Australia  mainland around 400 years ago even prior to the European settlers arrived and settled in Australia (Markel, 2005). It is also believed that  the reasons why the devils became extinct was mainly because of increased aridity as well as the dingo spread, whose entrance into the Tasmanian island was prevented by Bass Strait.

Today the Tasmanian devil remains the icon of the island. However, it has not always held this status all through up to  today. This is mainly because the early Hobart Town European settlers considered the Tasmanian devils a nuisance and often complained about the frequent raids by the Tasmanian devil’s on  their poultry yards (Markel, 2005). Thus in the year 1930, there  was an introduction of  a bounty scheme by  the Van Diemen’s Land Co. in order to remove Tasmanian devils and tigers as well as the wild dogs from the  settler’s properties that was in the northwest. Therefore this was followed by almost  a century that was characterized by the trapping and poisoning of the Tasmanian devils. This led to their drastic decrease in numbers making them very rare and with no doubt seemingly heading for extinction. However, the populations of the Tasmanian devils gradually  started  to increase after there was an introduction of a law in June 1941 which ensured they were protected (Nowak, 2005).

The Tasmanian devils are nowadays only found in the Tasmanian island. However, there is a suggestion from the  anecdotal evidence that the numbers of the Tasmanian devil were very variable over the previous century whereby they hit their historic highs around fifteen  years ago. Their presence was particularly often in woodland, forest  as well as agricultural areas mainly in the eastern, northern and also in the central of the Tasmania island (Owen & Pemberton, 2006). However, there numbers have started to tremendously decrease since 1990’s as a result of combination of factors. These therefore forms the core of this presentation mainly because the problem and issues concerned with this phenomenon has to be addressed  adequately. For instance, the aspect of culling, road mortality, foxes as well as a deadly facial tumour disease currently affecting the Tasmanian devils which is mainly characterised by the growth of cancers tumors around the head and the mouth (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005).

Tasmanian devil’s population declines  and their current status

The Tasmanian devil populations were reported to decrease on two major incidences in the past as a result of disease epidemic, both of which occurred in the year 1909 and 1950  respectively. Their populations were also reported to be scarce in the 1850s however, it has always been  difficult to exactly determine the devil’s population size. Moreover, the Tasmania populations were estimated around mid-1990’s, to be approximately 130,000 to 150,000 but there was a likelihood of overestimation. The estimated calculation of the Tasmanian devil population recently in the year 2008  gave a range of between 10,000 to 100,000 individuals, whereby the mature ones constituted  the bigger percentage. An estimation by the experts indicates that the Tasmanian devil population has suffered an approximate of above  80% from the mid-1990’s up  to now (Markel, 2005).

As  a result of continued decrease in the numbers of the Tasmanian devils they were in the year 2008 May formally classified as endangered through the 1995 Act on the  protection of the  threatened species in Tasmania (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005). Moreover, after the five years review by the Scientific Advisory Committee constituted by the  threatened species experts on the issues of the list of species that were included in the 1995 Act was completed, the Tasmanian devil was therefore moved from endangered species to vulnerable as a result of their increasing vulnerability.

In addition, there was an inclusion of the Tasmanian devil by the Federal Government into the 1999 Act of the Commonwealth concerning biodiversity conservation and environment protection. This ensured that the Tasmanian devils were wholly protected. Traditionally the numbers of the Tasmanian devils were usually controlled by the availability of food, loss of habitat, competition with other quolls and devils, as well as road mortalities. However, nowadays the greatest threat to the Tasmanian devils is none other than the is the Devil Facial Tumour Disease which in 2006 was gazetted in the List B of the notifiable disease which is in the Animal Health Act of the 2006 (Owen & Pemberton, 2006).

This situation however necessitated the formulation of the threatened species as well as  ecological communities guidelines to ensure the Tasmanian devils are protected hand in hand with the environment. Therefore this formulated policy statement clearly outlines all the reasons as  to why the  Tasmanian Devil was listed as a vulnerable species under the 1999 EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation)  Act. This policy goes further to also provide a guideline for assisting people who undertake actions likely to have an impact on the populations of the Tasmanian Devil in deciding if or not they are supposed to submit a referral on whether there is need for assessment and approval under the EPBC Act (Nowak, 2005).

Thus there has been an involvement of quite a commendable number of institutions and organizations on this issue. For instance, the Federal Government through its environmental and biodiversity departments have greatly influenced the way in which the whole issue is currently perceived (Markel, 2005). The increased sensitization and support of research by institution of higher learning has been of great help towards unlocking the solutions to this issue. Moreover, there is also an international interests on the issue as a result of treaties that are signed whereby an example is the classification of the Tasmanian devils as vulnerable species  under the Commonwealth’s EPBC Act of the year 1999.

However, since the Tasmanian Devil are largest carnivorous marsupials they usually feed on carcasses and carrion, including the bones altogether. They also feed on small mammals, reptiles, birds as well as insects hence as a result of them feeding on the carcasses they are often referred to as scavengers (Nowak, 2005). Thus through their role in cleaning up carcasses, they play a vital role in the environment conservation by alleviating the rotting carcasses from the environment. Moreover, the Tasmanian devils usually maintain ensures that there is a reduction of the risk of the sheep strike by the blowfly mainly because they removes the rotting carcasses which mainly serve as the food for the maggots (Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii, 3).

There has also been an extensive research carried out by scientists in order to seek for solutions to the menace which is threatening to extinct the Tasmanian devils. For instance, the research which has been carried out by Miller and Schuster on the Tasmanian devils indicates that there genome has very little genetic diversity compared to the Tasmanian tiger before they became extinct (Markel, 2005). Thus they noted that they will have a continued research directed on trying to find the ways of preventing the extinction of this magnificent mammalian species. This research has also been successful as a result of financial support and partnership with the Penn State University, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as well as the Spain’s Ramon Areces Foundation (Owen & Pemberton, 2006).

There are however three main reasons as to why the Tasmanian devils population numbers are decreasing at such alarming rates which mainly include the introduction of the red foxes, road mortality and the fatal tumour disease. All these situations presents a complex issue whose analysis is worth in order to provide potential solutions to this menace which threatens to extinct the unique and only large surviving carnivorous marsupial which is only found in the Tasmania island alone globally (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005).

Foxes

A potential threat has also been the introduction of the red fox into Tasmania, which would obviously directly compete with the juveniles of the Tasmanian devil. This is mainly because the two species usually share preferences for the habitat and den sites, as well as being of the same size. Therefore the decline of the Tasmanian devil numbers could also be viewed as an ecological problem mainly because of the completion and predation mainly posed by the red fox. This is mainly because the foxes would directly predate on the Tasmania devil young ones as well as competing for food, habitats and dens (Nowak, 2005).

Road mortality

Tasmanian devils have also been the victims of the roadkill mainly because they feed on the carcasses hence they get hit while trying to retrieve animals that have already been killed on the road. Also  their appearance makes them very hard to notice while they are on the road hence  they end up been knocked down by the drivers due to their unnoticeable nature. However, this is further heightened by the similarity of  their appearance and the and the tarmac road (Markel, 2005).

The Tasmanian devil vulnerability is especially often because they are always trying to retrieve food from the roadkill and also they are fond of travelling along the road. Thus in order to alleviate this problem, there is need to put in place certain measures such as traffic slowing measures, making pathways aimed at offering the devils alternative routes, education campaigns, as well as installing light reflectors aimed at  indicating places where the devils are likely to be retrieving roadkill.

Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease

This is a disease which is threatening to make the Tasmanian devil extinct because it usually leads to tumours around the face and the mouth thus it  interferes with the devil’s feeding eventually resulting to their death as a result of starvation. This disease was first seen in the year 1996 and since  then it has greatly contributed to the ravaging of the Tasmanian devil’s populations (Markel, 2005).

The populations of Tasmanian devils are thus continuously being monitored with the aim of tracking the disease spread so as to identify the changes that are associated with the disease prevalence. The monitoring so far has been one of the most effective intervention of closely monitoring the disease as well as determining the number of animals that are affected. This is mainly because the effects of this disease can be very devastating both in terms of short and long-term. Thus through monitoring the affected ones are isolated from those which are not yet affected ensuring that the rate of spreading is minimized (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005).

However, this disease has been defined as an example of a transmissible cancer, meaning it is usually contagious and has the ability to be  passed from one population of animals to another or even from a single animal to another one (Markel, 2005). Due to lack of cure, quarantining healthy devils and isolating those that are already infected is among the interventions been implemented. As a result of very low genetic diversity in the genome and chromosomal mutation in the Tasmanian devils features that are very common and unique among the carnivorous mammals usually makes them to be more prone to this type of cancer which is infectious due to reduction in their immunity (Owen & Pemberton, 2006).

In order to curb  the continued spread of the facial tumour disease that is threatening to ravish the Tasmanian devil population there has been a proposal of building a fence around the Tasmanian island aimed at creating a barrier which will protect the infected animals from the healthy ones (Tyndale-Biscoe, 2005). Hence at this devastating point this intervention would at least help in the reduction of the disease prevalence which would go a long way in protecting this endangered and vulnerable species that are unique and only found at Tasmanian island (Nowak, 2005).

Conclusion

The Tasmanian devils are among the most unique carnivorous marsupials existing today, but only at the Tasmanian island in Australia. Hence since they are at risk of extinction if necessary actions are not taken this necessitates need for immediate actions and interventions to be put in place so as to ensure that these unique creatures are protected. Moreover, the measures for the protection of the Tasmanian devils started back in the n year 1941 when the first ever policy was put in place to ensure that they are protected (Markel, 2005).

The uplifting of these Tasmanian devils in the list from endangered to vulnerable has also boosted the efforts of the protection of the devils (Nowak, 2005). Moreover, despite this interventions there has been a continued hindrance to restore the devil’s populations back to where they were there before mainly because of the threat posed by the foxes, road mortality as well as the fatal tumour disease all of which are collectively contributing to the drastic decrease in the numbers of the Tasmanian devils.  However, if necessary measures are put in place it is possible to rescue the devils from further decline in their populations but there is need for collaborative interventions (Owen & Pemberton, 2006).

References

Markel, S. 2005. Tasmanian Devils. Melbourne: Lerner Publications

Nowak, R.M. 2005. Walker’s marsupials of the world. Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press.

Owen, D. & Pemberton, D. 2006. Tasmania devil: a unique band threatened animal. Crowns, NSW: Allen & Unwin

Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii. Available at: http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=387  [Accesses on 11^th April 11, 2011].

Tyndale-Biscoe, C.H. 2005. Life of marsupials. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing.

 

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