Smelly, cranky and aggressive; but uniquely Australian and certainly well worth saving is the Tasmanian Devil.

It's always tragic to see an animal that was relatively common just a couple of decades ago become an endangered species.

Just over a year ago, I published an item on the Tasmanian Devil and a disease that was threatening its survival - a horrible facial tumor. I'm sad to say around 60% of the wild population has been killed by the disease now and nearly 50% of the remaining population is now affected by it. As of a couple of days ago, The Tasmanian Devil is officially listed as an Endangered Species. Yet another one.

A healthy Tasmanian Devil

A devil with the facial tumor

Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is only one of three recorded cancers that can spread like a contagious disease. It prevents the devil from feeding and kills within months - a horrible death.

Time is running out for this animal that was the basis for a famous Warner Bros. cartoon character. Does the Tasmanian Devil really have to go the way of the Tasmanian Tiger, another unique carnivorous marsupial, which was lost forever (genetics wizardry aside) just last century?

The only hope at this stage is to transport unaffected Devils to mainland Australia, away from DFTD. 73 Tasmanian devils have been sent to mainland wildlife parks, where they are now breeding. I'm assuming that the thought is it may come down to letting all the wild populations die in order for the disease to burn itself out.. perhaps.

If you can spare a few bucks to go towards securing the population and researching a cure and control for this disease, you can donate online at www.utas.edu.au/devilappeal

I really hope my next post about the Tasmanian Devil doesn't include the word "extinct".