Devil Facial Tumor Disease
Correspondent:: John Starrett
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:17:55 -0700
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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4513438
Cancer Could Wipe Out Tasmanian Devils
This image of a healthy-looking Tasmanian devil was captured in the wild
by a remote sensor camera. Tasmanian researchers are using the cameras
to monitor the health of more isolated devil populations. Tasmania's
Nature Conservation Branch
A Tasmanian devil with Devil Facial Tumor Disease. The facial cancers
are first noticed around the mouth as small lesions or lumps. These
develop into large tumors around the face and neck and sometimes other
parts of the body. Tasmania's Nature Conservation Branch
Weekend Edition - Saturday, February 26, 2005 · The Tasmanian devil, one
of the world's most unusual animals, is in danger of extinction. A
mysterious form of cancer has wiped out as many as half the devils in
Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, and there is no known cure.
Named after its native island, the Tasmanian devil is known for its
piercing cry and generally brutish behavior. Reaching an average size of
25 pounds, devils are capable of killing a rodent or bird, but they
mostly prefer to scavenge from carcasses.
Until recently, there were only about 150,000 devils in the world,
almost all in Tasmania. Now half of those are dead, killed off by a
bizarre facial cancer that appeared several years ago and continues to
spread.
The cancer appears as tumors around the head; it can spread into the
jaw, the eye, the neck and other parts of the devil's body. Many of the
tumors secrete toxins. If the cancer doesn't kill the animal outright,
the tumors eventually block the throat and starve or suffocate the
animal. No one knows how the disease started or how to treat it.
Researchers say there's no test to see if a devil has been infected.
Their best hope is to find young, uninfected animals and quarantine them.
Correspondent:: "splendid_blond_beast"
Date: 26 Feb 2005 14:16:20 -0800
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It will end up involving the massive opium poppy farms on the island.
Count on it.
John Starrett wrote:
> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4513438
>
> Cancer Could Wipe Out Tasmanian Devils
>
> This image of a healthy-looking Tasmanian devil was captured in the
wild
> by a remote sensor camera. Tasmanian researchers are using the
cameras
> to monitor the health of more isolated devil populations. Tasmania's
> Nature Conservation Branch
>
> A Tasmanian devil with Devil Facial Tumor Disease. The facial cancers
> are first noticed around the mouth as small lesions or lumps. These
> develop into large tumors around the face and neck and sometimes
other
> parts of the body. Tasmania's Nature Conservation Branch
>
> Weekend Edition - Saturday, February 26, 2005 · The Tasmanian devil,
one
> of the world's most unusual animals, is in danger of extinction. A
> mysterious form of cancer has wiped out as many as half the devils in
> Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, and there is no known cure.
>
> Named after its native island, the Tasmanian devil is known for its
> piercing cry and generally brutish behavior. Reaching an average size
of
> 25 pounds, devils are capable of killing a rodent or bird, but they
> mostly prefer to scavenge from carcasses.
>
> Until recently, there were only about 150,000 devils in the world,
> almost all in Tasmania. Now half of those are dead, killed off by a
> bizarre facial cancer that appeared several years ago and continues
to
> spread.
>
> The cancer appears as tumors around the head; it can spread into the
> jaw, the eye, the neck and other parts of the devil's body. Many of
the
> tumors secrete toxins. If the cancer doesn't kill the animal
outright,
> the tumors eventually block the throat and starve or suffocate the
> animal. No one knows how the disease started or how to treat it.
>
> Researchers say there's no test to see if a devil has been infected.
> Their best hope is to find young, uninfected animals and quarantine
them.