The Devil's Way

They may look scary, and not appealing, but they are. To me they are, anyway.

The Tasmanian Devil, named because it looks like to a demon to some people and it only lives in the Australian state of Tasmania, is being wiped out. But for once, it isn't our fault.

They are getting cancer. The marsupials bite each other, and that is what it believed to be spreading the disease.

Tens of thousands have lost their lives since the nineties, the decade before the one we are currently in. It is feared that the mammals could be gone for good within five years. That means we'll have until 2013 at the latest to see these creatures. That's only if we don't do anything to help.

The Australian government has been trying to think of ways to help the carnivores. One way has already been put into action. The healthy animals have been moved to other parts of the country, where D.F.T.D. has not struck (that's Devil Facial Tumour Disease to you and me).

I hope the species is saved before it's too late. I would love to see one in the wild. I did visit Sydney for two days a few years back, on the way back from New Zealand, but that is miles away from Tasmania.

Please comment. Thank you.