Photos of Tasmanian Devil with fur loss being investigated by authorities
Updated
Disturbing images of a Tasmanian devil with large portions of fur missing have emerged from the north of the state.
The pictures were posted online and show the marsupial walking on a road near Badger Head, an hour north of Launceston.
Community members speculated that the condition looked similar to sarcoptic mange, currently affecting Tasmanian wombat populations.
Many who have voiced their concerns have been seeking answers about the cause of the condition.
"What's happened? That poor thing, looks horrible," said one person.
"Apart from the wide area alopecia, the abdomen seemed to be grossly swollen for whatever reason. Awful!," said another.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) said the Tasmanian devil appears to be showing "classic symptoms of a type of skin cancer which causes fur loss in affected animals".
"Tasmanian Devils are known to be susceptible to this type of cancer," a spokesman for DPIPWE said.
"It is not uncommon to find cases of it in older animals."
DPIPWE said the photos are being referred to the department's Save the Tasmanian Devil program for further investigation.
More than 80 per cent of the devil population has been wiped out in Tasmania in the past 20 years by a contagious facial tumour disease.
In May, a small number of healthy devils were transported from Maria Island to Tasmania's north-east to rebuild wild devil populations in areas where the facial tumour disease is present.
Vaccinated devils were released just three hours east of Badger Head, where the images were taken, with the hope it would provide an immunity boost to the population.
Some of the 130 relocated devils in four sites across Tasmania have survived relocation, settling into release sites, putting on weight and breeding.
Meanwhile, sarcoptic mange has killed most of the wombats in the Narawntapu National Park in northern Tasmania and disease-ridden animals are a common sight around the community at the mouth of the Tamar River.
Topics: animal-diseases-and-disorders---devil-facial-tumour-disease, marsupials, conservation, kelso-7270
First posted
