Tasmania, Australia
Tasmanian devils are being moved to another island in hopes of saving them from a mysterious cancer. The fox-size marsupials, native to the island of Tasmania, are dying from a rapidly spreading cancer of the face. “I think there’s a real risk of extinction within 20 years across the whole of Tasmania,” said wildlife researcher Hamish McCallum. Scientists are preparing to move 30 devils to Maria Island, a former prison island and now a wildlife sanctuary. McCallum shrugs off the fears of some of his colleagues that the devils, which can be vicious, will feast on Maria Island’s endangered birds. “I don’t want to get into an argument about whether a devil is worth more than a 40-spotted pardalote,” he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
