Are Tasmanian devils endangered?
In May 2009, the Australian Government uplisted the Tasmanian devil to endangered under national environmental law. It is also listed as endangered under the Tasmanian Governments Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. A little more than a decade ago, devil numbers seemed to be at a record high. Then, in the mid 1990s, the first signs were observed of the fatal and infectious cancer, Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). Sightings of the Tasmanian devil have since declined by more than 70%. As at May 2009, DFTD can be found at 64 locations across more than 60% of the State. In September 2006, DFTD was gazetted under the Animal Health Act 1995 as a List B notifiable disease. The Tasmanian devil has also been listed as Endangered on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) the benchmark for the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
No, but the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) has made the species vulnerable to extinction. In February 2006, Tasmanian devils were listed as a vulnerable species under the State’s Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. More recently the Federal Government included them under the Commonwealth Environment and Biodiversity Act. They are wholly protected. A decade ago, devil numbers seemed to be at a record high. Then, in the mid 1990s, the first signs of the Tasmanian devil disease were observed. A research program, which became known as the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) Program, or more simply the Devil Disease Program, has been established to investigate the disease and identify management options. In September 2006, Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) was gazetted under the Animal Health Act as a List B notifiable disease.
