Page 52 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #05

The Tasmanian devil is
robustly built, with a
thick tail, broad head and
powerful jaws capable of
crushing large bones.

THE DEVIL IS
IN THE DETAIL
Tasmania is a haven for wildlife,
including some species that
died out on mainland Australia.

The number of endemic
mammals found Though some people still care little for moving marsupials. Finally, devils can suffer the
in Tasmania – the this iconic Tasmanian species, many unintentional consequences of poisons put out for rats
Tasmanian devil is one, others have become aware of the risks or other pests. “It’s about awareness,” says Greg. “In our
2 of course, and the other it faces and what they can do to help. view, every life counts, and we try to get this message
is the Tasmanian pademelon, a “People go, ‘That’s a pretty special through to both locals and tourists.”
species of wallaby that went extinct animal, I want to make sure I’m not
on mainland Australia in the 1920s. making the situation worse,’” he says. EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
“That’s where our role at Bonorong is Wade Anthony also believes attitudes have changed. “There
The island’s haul so important. We get 110,000 people used to be quite a bit of persecution here,” he says. “When
of endemic bird coming through our gates every year, numbers were at their highest, you might have had three
species, including and we are teaching them how to be or four devils coming through your farm at night and
a parrot, the green rangers in their own back yard.” harassing poultry. But they’re really more of a scavenger,
12 rosella, and a and people are beginning to understand that.”
relative of Eurasia’s moorhen, ROADKILL DANGERS And that importance isn’t just about cleaning up the
the Tasmanian native hen. The state-run Save the Tasmanian Devil corpses of wallabies and wombats that would otherwise
programme receives government money, litter the landscape – they are also an effective line of
The total number but it is also reliant on public donations. defence against non-native feral cats and red foxes, in turn
of terrestrial Some of the most exciting research is benefiting small native marsupials such as bandicoots,
mammals native going into finding a vaccine that would bettongs and potoroos. Encouragingly, foxes have not been
to Tasmania. One immunise devils against the cancer, detected in Tasmania since 2011, but it will probably require
33 is the probably though that is still a long way off. the continued presence of the devils to keep things that way.
extinct thylacine. The rest include The public can help in other ways, “At least this has happened to devils at a time when
eight carnivorous marsupials, Greg points out. “It’s about how we can some people care about wildlife,” points out Greg Irons.
five species of macropod, eight live alongside devils,” he says. “Cars “When Tasmanian tigers were under threat, no one
species of bat and five rodents. are the big issue, because of that fact cared, and they went extinct.” But he acknowledges that
that devils scavenge roadkill.” Research there’s still a lot to do.
published in 2008 showed that at least “We’ve got all these amazing animals here, but most of us
160,000 mammals are killed on Tasmania’s roads every couldn’t identify them,” says Greg. “Every kid in Tasmania
year. The total death toll – including birds – was 300,000, knows what a tiger or a dinosaur is, but not cherished
which is double the mortality rate in the rest of Australia. species such as devils.” But thanks to his and Wade
The scientist behind the research, Alistair Hobday, Anthony’s tireless efforts, that picture is changing. Children
even calculated the safe speed for drivers in order to might even be able to tell you about a baby the size of a
give themselves time to brake. “For our really valuable grain of rice and that backward-facing pouch.
species like Tasmanian devils, it’s actually a speed
of 50kph at night that’s really appropriate,” he told a + FIND OUT MORE JAMES FAIR is BBC
Tasmanian TV programme in 2011. Learn more at www. Wildlife’s environment
Despite their fierce reputation, devils are also vulnerable bonorong.com.au editor. This month he also
to attack from domestic dogs, which are more naturally and www.tassiedevil. writes about following the arrival of
com.au
aggressive and can run rings around the relatively slow- spring on a bike (see p32).
52 BBC Wildlife Spring 2018