The Tasmanian Devil is in trouble. Specifically, the population is being wiped out by a form of cancer that 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.”
What’s particularly unusual about this cancer (“Devil facial tumor disease”, or DTFD) is that it’s one of only three known forms of cancer that’s infectious; in other words, the Tasmanian Devils are spreading the cancer to each other.
…Persuade the Australian public to care about a seldom-seen animal 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.
From a marketing standpoint, the Tasmanian devil is no koala.
Well, yes: as a family member of mine would probably point out, the Tasmanian Devil is capable of reproducing without help.
Yet, in ways that surprise even themselves, Australians are rallying around this nasty, screeching beast that once was the most reviled animal in the country. There are foods and wines branded with the devil’s likeness; bars and coffee shop signs feature caricatures of a snarling devil, as does the official logo of the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. Schoolchildren study the creature and a visit to a devil sanctuary is a standard day trip for cruise ship passengers disembarking in Hobart.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 28th, 2011 at 7:41 am and is filed under Clippings, Geek. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.