Threats

Well, now that I know so much about Tasmanian Devils, I've got a real soft spot for them. But I know that there is a real chance they may not be around in the near future - and so something needs to be done to save them.

Some of the things that aren't helping their survival are foxes, dogs, cars and DFTD. 

Foxes - Foxes and Tasmanian Devils are similar in size and their habitats and eating habits are also similar and so they compete for these things.  Foxes and Devils will try stealing each others' babies when the mum isn't around!

Dogs - Dogs as individuals and in packs, have been known to kill Tassie Devils. The "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" estimates that several hundred Devils are killed by dogs each year.

Cars - Cars are a big threat to Devils.  Tassie Devils love munching on dead animals and so they often eat animals that have been hit by cars.  While eating, they sometimes become road kill themselves.  Some Tasmanian Devils are now being put in captivity to prevent them from being hurt or killed by cars.

 DFTD (Devil Facial Tumor Disease)- DFTD is the #1 killer of Tassie Devils.  It affects their face and mouth and then keeps growing.  It is a type of cancer and there is no cure yet.  Make sure you look at my next entry 'cause I'll be talking about this disease in detail.    

Human Hunting - This is no longer a threat since Devils became protected by law in 1941 but their low numbers are due to many years of hunting before this.  Farmers used to believe that Tasmanian Devils ate large numbers of their livestock such as sheep, chickens and ducks. They thought they would kill anything and everything but really they only killed what they needed to eat - and they preferred small and easy prey.  The real threat to farmers were the introduced animals like foxes, dogs and feral cats.  Farmers use to shoot and trap the Tassie Devils. 

Without Tasmanian Devils the Tasmanian wildlife would be in trouble because they help to stop predators such as feral cats and foxes from increasing.

"If the devils go, and the foxes and cats increase, it would be all over for a good dozen or more species of mammals—many of which are unique to Tasmania … not to mention lizards and ground-dwelling birds," said the head of WWF - Australia's conservation program, Ray Nias.