Monday, May 28, 2012

Hoping we can save the Devil


Usually there isn't much call to save the Devil, but in the case of the Tasmanian Devil, it's something worth doing.  The Taz Devil population has been decimated (pretty much correct in the mathematical meaning of that term) by an always-fatal epidemic of facial cancer that gets spread by contact.   I don't like it when charismatic megafauna are endangered, and here's another case of that, surprisingly with very little human causation in this case.

But humans are stepping in and doing what they can to save the Devil.   And since these aren't witches or warlocks trying to do this, I'm all for it.   (Meanwhile, Kill the Lionfish).

Fortunately they seem to breed well in captivity.

Race to save the Devil down under

Decimation:  "In 1996 the disease was first found -- since then you've had a 91 percent population decrease," Faulkner, who is based at the Australian Reptile Park, said."

Hope we don't lose you, mate

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