Tasmanian Devils Officially Endangered

Posted by NG Kids in News Bites on May 28, 2009

Australia’s Tasmanian devils are dying off due to a disease called DFTD, or devil facial tumor disease. This contagious cancer is spread when Tasmanian devils bite each other.

In the 13 years since the disease was first discovered, the population of Tasmanian devils has dropped about 70%. Earlier this month, the Australian government officially changed the status of the Tasmanian devil from “vulnerable” to “endangered.”

Get the facts on Tasmanian devils in the Creature Feature.

Watch a video about Tasmanian devils and the contagious cancer on National Geographic Kids.

Read how kids helped Tasmanian devils at a wildlife conservation center.

Learn more about this story from The Guardian.

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Categories: Animals

Comments

  1. gilly
    May 28, 2009, 2:28 pm

    I have to agree

  2. tonre1
    June 4, 2009, 12:18 am

    no!!!!!!!!!!!! i saw a video on tasmanian devils and they are so cute! they can’t be endangered!

  3. addiedoug1
    December 8, 2009, 6:27 pm

    But who would do somthing to these little guys they aint that bad to the enviroment who would want to hurt them i am with you tonre1 they are cute but they can be very dangurious to some things in the world that makes poeple mad or something like that. i am going to do what i can to help the poor little tasmanian devils so they do noy become gone for for for for………….EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. 2whitie
    June 8, 2010, 8:52 pm

    I have a question. If Humans are suppsodly bitten by vampires, what do you call a wolverine who bites another wolverines and kills it? It is sad that i am spending my summer thinking of questions like that.

  5. pokemoncme
    July 8, 2011, 4:46 pm

    To 2whitie I tink they are called canibals.

  6. coolcat24
    December 16, 2011, 7:52 pm

    Tasmanian devils are very cute but they sound horribly horrible.

  7. qm666
    April 28, 2012, 8:46 am

    This year in my class I studied Tasmanian Devils and before that I didn’t know they were endangered.

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