This is about what causes the Tasmanian Devils' population to become endangered.
Efforts in the late 1800s to eradicate Tasmanian devils, which farmers erroneously believed were killing livestock (although they were known to take poultry), were nearly successful. In 1941, the government made devils a protected species, and their numbers have grown steadily since. A transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease, also known as DFTD, was seen in 1996. This rapidly spreading condition killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian Devils. It causes large lumps to form around the animals’ mouth and head, making it difficult for them to eat, thus they starves to death. Animal health experts are sequestering populations where the disease has not yet appeared and are focusing on captive breeding programs to save the species from extinction. Because of the outbreak, the Australian government has classified the Tasmanian devil as least concern in 1996, but in 2009, they were reclassified as endangered. The population of the Tasmanian devil are monitored to track the spread of the disease and to identify changes in disease prevalence. Field monitoring involves trapping devils within a defined area to check for the presence of the disease and determine the number of affected animals. The same area is visited repeatedly to characterise the spread of the disease over time. Field workers are also testing the effectiveness of disease suppression by trapping and removing diseased devils. They hoped that the removal of diseased devils can prevent the wild population dies out and allow more devils to survive. As Tasmanian devils have low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation unique among carnivorous mammals, they are more likely to get the disease.
Reflection:
The Tasmanian Devils are now endangered due to the devil facial tumour disease which killed many devils within so many years. The Devil Facial Tumour Disease form large lumps on the devils' head and around the mouth and make it difficult for them to eat. Soon, the devils starves to death. As the scientists are short of a cure, they separate the sick animals and healthy devils to prevent the wild population die out.
Efforts in the late 1800s to eradicate Tasmanian devils, which farmers erroneously believed were killing livestock (although they were known to take poultry), were nearly successful. In 1941, the government made devils a protected species, and their numbers have grown steadily since. A transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease, also known as DFTD, was seen in 1996. This rapidly spreading condition killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian Devils. It causes large lumps to form around the animals’ mouth and head, making it difficult for them to eat, thus they starves to death. Animal health experts are sequestering populations where the disease has not yet appeared and are focusing on captive breeding programs to save the species from extinction. Because of the outbreak, the Australian government has classified the Tasmanian devil as least concern in 1996, but in 2009, they were reclassified as endangered. The population of the Tasmanian devil are monitored to track the spread of the disease and to identify changes in disease prevalence. Field monitoring involves trapping devils within a defined area to check for the presence of the disease and determine the number of affected animals. The same area is visited repeatedly to characterise the spread of the disease over time. Field workers are also testing the effectiveness of disease suppression by trapping and removing diseased devils. They hoped that the removal of diseased devils can prevent the wild population dies out and allow more devils to survive. As Tasmanian devils have low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation unique among carnivorous mammals, they are more likely to get the disease.
Reflection:
The Tasmanian Devils are now endangered due to the devil facial tumour disease which killed many devils within so many years. The Devil Facial Tumour Disease form large lumps on the devils' head and around the mouth and make it difficult for them to eat. Soon, the devils starves to death. As the scientists are short of a cure, they separate the sick animals and healthy devils to prevent the wild population die out.
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