Facial cancers in Tasmanian Devils

I've been reading about Tasmanian devils today - which remind me of my ferocious miniature dachshund (Mr. Peabody). They are feisty marsupials that live only on the Australian island of Tasmania. They are an endangered species due to a fatal and mysterious epidemic of devil facial tumor disease, which has wiped out large numbers of them.  Large tumors form on the faces and necks of the animals, making it impossible for them to eat. Many of the afflicted animals subsequently die of starvation.  A spokesperson for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, a joint effort by the state government and the University of Tasmania said: "It's a stark warning about how suddenly and dramatically things can change....Usually a disease will peter out in time, but we're just not seeing that." 

Photo: National Geographic

Photo: Wikipedia



More links below:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/tasmanian-devil/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease


Here's a Warner Bros. cartoon with Daffy Duck and the Tasmanian Devil (Taz):