Paging Warner Brothers. Bugs Bunny’s old nemesis the Tasmanian Devil has more problems than you think. In real life, the seldom-seen animal is “the size of a cocker spaniel, beady-eyed, standoffish and fond of displaying a mouthful of pointy teeth. Picture a skunk, with the jaws of an alligator and the charm of a weasel,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
About a year ago, we reported that these animals were facing extinction due to a rare and ugly genetic disease (albeit one that held possible links to cancer treatment). The Los Angeles Times follows up saying that things could improve for the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials if only the folks Down Under would embrace the devils in a more warm and fuzzy way. Perhaps then they’d get behind publicizing the need for help and support the eradication of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), which causes tumors “to sprout around the devil’s mouth, quickly morphing into bulbous red pustules that eventually take over the animal’s entire face, leaving it unable to eat or drink.” Afflicted animals ultimately starve to death.
Help is out there, but it is a matter of getting Aussies – and those who want to help save an endangered species – to take up the cause. One organization is called Devil Ark, which is dedicated to establishing and maintaining a population of healthy, genetically diverse Tasmanian devils.
Kathy Drasky regularly writes about online culture. Her marketing and communications work with the ANZA Technology Network, Advance Global Australians and with various Australians and Australian enterprises has led to at least a dozen trips Down Under.
An accomplished digital photographer, her photos have appeared in 7×7 Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Google Schmap.
