Why Is The Tasmanian Devil Endangered?

An interview with Nicole Dyble, Experiences Guide and Devil Handler at Saffire Freycinet – By Iris Seraya, Luxury Lodges of Australia.

The Tasmanian Devil is currently listed as endangered and they are at high risk of extinction in the wild. I sat down with Nicole Dyble from Saffire Freycinet as she shared knowledgeable insights into the world’s largest marsupial carnivore, why their population has suffered rapid recent decline and what can be done to save them from this insidious fate.

Can you give us a brief background on Tasmania and its relationship to the Tassie devil?

“Since European colonisation we’ve had a tenuous relationship with the devil.” Nicole explains that the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and Tasmanian devil (scientific name sarcophilus harrisii) were under the same hunting scheme introduced in the 1830’s, fetching 25 cents for a male pelt and 35 cents for female pelt. While thousands of Tasmanian devils were killed, thankfully they didn’t suffer the same fate as the Tasmanian tiger, with the last known individual dying in captivity in 1936 at Hobart Zoo. (Although tantalising sightings and stories of this enigmatic Australian marsupial continue to inspire the belief that it could still be out there and recently scientists revealed the potential reality of cloning the Thylacine with CRISPR gene-editing technology.) After this detrimental impact on numbers, the government revoked the hunting scheme and devils were largely left alone, albeit with a resounding sense of complacency for their survival.

Tasmanian devils haven’t lived in the wild on the Australian mainland for over 3000 years, and since then they have only been found in the island state of Tasmania. Nicole reveals that devils by nature are actually “very cheeky and curious” and fondly refers to their legacy as “the great Aussie battler”. Important to their plight, the Tasmanian devil has been officially protected under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act since June 11 1941, and were officially listed as Endangered under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2008.

Why are Devils so important?

“Tasmanian devils are a Keystone Species which means they have a disproportionally large effect on the natural environment, relative to its abundance.” Devils play an important role, by eating sick and dead animals. Nicole tells me that while there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that devils have had any impact on feral cats, it’s been proposed that their presence may create a ‘landscape of fear’ in which cats move on and, by doing so, help to protect some of the native species, particularly birds.

Where did your interest in the Tasmanian devil begin?

Nicole describes devils as a ‘fairly cryptic species’, and never saw them much as a child growing up in Launceston, although she puts that down to devils being ‘fairly good at avoiding people’ and the fact that they were such a big part of the Tasmanian landscape that they were largely ignored.

After a Parks and Wildlife traineeship in Tasmania, the role as Devil Handler and Field Guide at Saffire Freycinet was offered to Nicole and over the last 8 years, she has taken care of the devils at the lodge’s sanctuary with her animal husbandry with devils and eastern quoll and spotted tail quoll going back 15 years. She describes devils individual and unique personality traits and behaviour profiles, It comes as no surprise to learn that all devils are different, some excitable and a little bit defensive and others quite timid or laidback, but it’s their capacity for affection that reveals the true complexity of these animals. Nicole tells me some devils would climb up her jeans and into her pocket, looking for cuddles. Two devils she remembers in particular at Saffire Freycinet were male brothers, Malcom and Murray, and because they knew each other, and they didn’t have to re-establish the bonds they already had, they were very gentle with one another.

What’s the most critical challenge you’re facing at the moment?

“The biggest threat to the Tasmanian devil is the Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) – a fatal and infectious form of cancer.

…Among other pressing issues is human activity – land clearing and loss of habitat means less wildlife corridors, hunting and breeding grounds and less places to create their dens. It’s this loss of connections. Devil Facial Tumour Disease is the critical challenge- it has wiped out 82% of wild population.” Nicole divulges. Environmental pressures of road mortality – Tasmanian roadkill hot spots are an ever-present threat to devils. Trials are taking place with virtual fencing to keep them off the road. A few years ago, farmer were asked to do surveys on their land to measure the impact of how farm dogs affected devil populations and it was revealed the dogs would kill up to 50 devils each year.

So what is DFTD and how did it develop in devils?

DFTD stands for Devil Facial Tumour Disease and is an extremely rare form of cancer—one of seven transmissible cancers in the animal kingdom known to spread like a contagious disease and its characterised by obvious facial tumours in affected devils. DFTD, which is thought to be transmitted by infected devils biting other devils, primarily affects adult animals and once contracted, can spread quickly with devastating results. As the cancers develop and spread in infected animals, feeding and competing for food becomes progressively more difficult.

It was first detected in north-east Tasmania in the mid-1990s by a wildlife photographer who discovered the lesions through his lens. Since that time, sightings of the Tasmanian devil in the wild have declined by more than 80 percent, with approximately 57,000 individuals lost and somewhere between 10,000 to 17,000 left in the wild. Tragically, the north-east region has experienced a drop in sightings of around 95 percent. Due to this alarming rate of decline, the Tasmanian devil is now listed as an Endangered species. Although difficult to predict given potential variables, researchers at the University of Tasmania predict that numbers could potentially incline in the next decade thanks to the awareness and efforts of conservationists.

 

What’s the life expectancy once diagnosed with the tumour?

Devils affected by DFTD often die from starvation and the breakdown of their bodily functions within just three to five months of infection. Nicole tells me that “once they have DFTD their lifespan is shortened to just 3-6 months.”

Are there studies on DFTD happening globally? Do you know of any?

Once DFTD was hit, devils were no longer sent to overseas zoos as no-one knew anything about the disease and was considered a biosecurity risk. But it’s now been reinstated and an initiative called Ambassador Devils means healthy individuals are now sent to raise education overseas in institutions such as Auckland Zoo, growing global awareness. And there are now global studies into the tumour disease. The Research Centre for Molecular Medicine at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Vienna Uni of Vet Medicine and in the United States, University of Connecticut, UW-Seattle and Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre have undertaken studies, showing scientists all over the world are invested in the interest of the devils.

Can you share some insight into caring for devils in captivity?

Nicole is proud to say that the devil sanctuary at Saffire Freycinet is unique in that it provides an excellent viewing platform and has been designed to mimic the wild natural environment of Sclerophyll Forest (Australian vegetation of eucalypts, wattles and banksias) and coastal heaths. The free-range devil enclosure accommodates mature individuals that have been part of the genetically diverse devil breeding program and whose genes are now well represented within the insurance population. This enclosure provides the devils with a safe, secure environment and high quality of life, while also freeing up space for more breeding devils within government facilities. “The owner of Saffire Freycinet went to Africa and discovered a programmed for orphaned elephants and was inspired to help the devils and so the 1-hectare enclosure was built in 2014.” In effect, the devil enclosure at Saffire is a luxury retirement home for devils who have played their part in helping to ensure the survival of their species. Saffire Freycinet has a dual role in supporting the devils through the educating guests on the Devil Tour – an incredible opportunity to see Tasmanian devils up close in a natural setting and to contribute to the continuing effort to save this iconic species, and by contributing to the medical research institute Menzies and veterinary care. The Tasmanian devils cause supports the conservation of the Tasmanian devil by funding projects that:

• Protect and manage wild devil populations
• Care for and manage devils in captivity (insurance populations)
• Support captive breeding and release programs
• Research into disease prevention and cure

What are the defining factors of becoming an Endangered species? Who decides what is an Endangered species?

IUCN is a global authority on the natural world’s protection and biodiversity conservation, and is the organisation who make the Endangered species listing.

The IUCN or International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international organisation working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy and education and set conservation status. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee reevaluates each species every 4 years and considers the Red List, meaning a species is listed as Endangered.

How can they come back from the brink? Is there a cure?

The remarkable silver lining is that within just 4-6 generations, the wild devil population is starting to present a response to DFTD. MRNA trials show an immune response and the University of Tasmania researchers have found strong evidence that the transmissible cancer is not likely to lead to their demise. The study, published in the journal Science, indicated that the devils’  pandemic is shifting from an emerging disease to an endemic one—meaning the disease spread is slowing to the point that each infected devil is infecting only one additional animal or less, hinting that the devil is evolving resistance to the disease.

On the back of this positive news, what is the devil breeding cycle?

“Devil give birth to joeys, around 40-50 and as many as 60 the size of a grain of rice. As nature would have it, there are only four teats and through the processes of natural selection, only four joeys survive. The oestrus cycle or mating season February and March cycles 3 per year, with around 50-60 days between cycles, with each successive cycle not as long as the last.

What’s the average lifespan?

Lifespan in the wild is 5 -6 years, in captivity its up to 8 years.

What’s a common misconception about the devils that you’d like guests to know?

A hangover from European colonisation is the aggression myth, that devils are vicious, territorial creatures ready to rip you to shreds. Perhaps a cultural influence from being portrayed in Looney Tunes by Warner Brothers as ‘Taz’ – the top heavy, ferocious, albeit dim-witted, carnivore with a notoriously short temper and little patience.

“Devils are actually very shy, timid and cryptic creatures. They tend to avoid people and confrontation. They have a broad vocabulary range, which is most vocal when the devils are eating. Another misconception is that devils are carrion feeders, but the truth is if they were to be left to scavenge purely on things that had had died they would starve.” Devils do indeed hunt, using their keen sense of smell and strong hind legs they’re surprisingly capable of climbing trees. They are not territorial, which means they do not bury their food, as they don’t possess ownership of the land it’s on, instead devouring as much as they can in one sitting.

 So what’s being done?

Virtual fencing is being tried and tested, as scientists have discovered devils don’t like the sound of scrunched cellophane (this is pretty relatable, who does?) and they’re using this noise as a sound barrier to keep the devils off of roads and highways.

The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program is the Tasmanian government’s response to this significant threat to the devil’s survival. The recovery plan’s primary role is to manage an “insurance population” of breeding devils to ensure the genetic diversity of the species is maintained. This insurance population is free of DFTD, and is made up of captive devils in various Tasmanian and interstate locations. There is also a wild insurance population of healthy devils on Maria Island, off Tasmania’s east coast. The Program’s “Wild Devil Recovery Project” has seen devils from the insurance population released into selected sites in Tasmania where the local devil populations have been decimated by DFTD. These sites are being carefully monitored to determine the effect of introducing new, healthy devils.

The Tasmanian devil immunology research group at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research in Hobart is conducting vital research into the immune system of the Tasmanian devil and the way in which it responds to the cancer. The overarching goal of the Menzies’ devil group is to develop a protective vaccine against DFTD as part of a disease management strategy. Previously led by Professor Greg Woods, this research is now under the direction of Dr Andy Flies and Dr Ruth Pye. Exciting headway is being made, with the group having built on results from previous DFTD vaccine trials and devising an improved approach for developing an effective DFTD vaccine. The group is also measuring impact and figuring out how this new vaccine can be delivered to devils in an edible form i.e. an oral bait vaccine, so as to maximise vaccine uptake by wild devils.

Through the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Saffire has partnered with Professor Woods, Dr Flies and Dr Pye in this critical effort to save this protected species from extinction. As a key sponsor, Saffire is contributing significantly to the Menzies Research Institute’s quest to develop a vaccine for DFTD and secure the survival of this extraordinary marsupial.

How can people get involved in conservation efforts to save the Tassie devil?

Nicole gently reminds us, ‘it’s never too late to get involved’. People can donate time or money or spread awareness. She tells me her partner used to volunteer his time mowing the lawns at the nearby Devil sanctuary wildlife park when he first moved to Tasmania. Little gestures add up.

Positive impact is recognised as a fundamental part of the luxury and privilege of travel. Saffire Freycinet guests appreciate knowing that their visit is in some shape or form is an active contributor to environmental preservation and regeneration, and the enrichment and well-being of local communities and the preservation of the Tasmanian Devil.

Guests can sponsor a devil, with the funds going back to the Menzies Institue. Or purchase Saffy the Tas Teddie – with the purchase proceeds go directly toward Wildcare Tasmania’s Nature and World Heritage fund to help protect and care for wild places for future generations to enjoy. This collaboration also supports Tas textiles, the Tasmanian knitting mill where Saffy is made; providing employment opportunities for people living with intellectual, cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Saffire’s leadership in conservation and environmental sustainability is making a difference. Through engagement with local communities, knowledgeable professionals such as Nicole and economic empowerment of regional communities through excellence and sustainable highest quality tourism.

Guests of the lodge participate in the quest to save this endangered species from extinction. Led by knowledgeable guides, you’ll visit the free-range Tasmanian devil enclosure and meet some of the resident population of and observe them as they feed and interact. You’ll hear the story of the Tasmanian devil, experience first-hand their characteristics, and learn how we can contribute to survival of the species.

For further information, visit or to experience seeing the Tasmanian devils in person, book your Saffire Freycinet experience here.

For a sneak peak into Nicole’s devil tour with guests at Saffire’s Devil Enclosure, watch.