A Tasmanian devil joey has been left orphaned after its mother was found to be infected with Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).
The devil was brought to the Bonorong Wildlife Hospital with her four joeys after a member of the public spotted her in a weakened state.
Hospital staff discovered the mother devil had DFTD and injuries consistent with being hit by a car.
While the joeys are healthy and will be released back into the wild when old enough, the mother devil passed away.
“This poor mother was fighting very hard to continue providing for her joeys,” Bonorong said.
“Luckily, the disease is not passed from mother to joeys, and despite her illness she had managed to keep the four little ones in decent health.”
DFTD is a transmissible cancer that affects the faces of Tasmanian devils, causing large facial tumours that interfere with eating and eventually lead to starvation.
It can be spread through biting and is the main cause of concerns for the state’s devil population.
Despite the disease’s high fatality rate, around 50 Tasmanian devils have survived DFTD in the wild, Bonorong said.
“There is hope a vaccine could give the devil’s immune system a boost to prevent disease and go a long way in conserving this unique and iconic Tasmanian species,” they said.
