Tasmania’s native animal lovers have been left heartbroken after a video emerged of a severely diseased Tasmanian Devil at a farm in Table Cape.
The footage, captured by a co-worker of the wife of Raptor Care North West owner Adam Hardy, shows the devil with a severe case of facial tumour disease.
Adam’s wife Lara said she was “absolutely not prepared” for what she saw when she viewed the video.
“For a pocket of the state that is recorded to have a fairly healthy tumour-free devil population, it was heartbreaking to see that one of the most severe cases of facial tumour disease sits right in the middle of it,” she said.

“I immediately made calls to my husband who made calls to others and knowing just how incredibly advanced this case was I wholeheartedly believed I would have all boots on the ground trying to locate this guy to get him treated and sampled urgently.”
Lara said she was disappointed with the response from authorities, saying that the Devil Team is no longer responsible for devil welfare and that Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary was constrained by limited carers in the area.

“Where the heck is everyone? We all know this terrible disease has decimated our devil population by over 70% and the incredible knock-on effects this has had on our ecosystem,” she said.
“This footage is traumatic, heartbreaking and a stark reminder of how clearly incapable our state is at controlling this horrific disease.”
A Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania spokesperson said the devil appeared to have “severe Devil Facial Tumour Disease”.
“Emaciation and fur loss can be associated with severe disease,” they said.

Wildlife officers have been working with the community to locate and trap the devil on behalf of NRE.