Tasmanian devils are depicted as rambunctious rascals. But they’re threatened by an extremely contagious cancer that has claimed nearly 90% of the wild population.
6-12
Months a devil will live once infected with Devil Facial Tumor Disease.

Once found throughout Australia, Tasmanian devils slowly lost ground to the non-native dingo. But they did well on Australia’s island state of Tasmania, where there were no dingoes.
Devil in the Details
Devils might have a fearsome reputation, but they’re more vulnerable than they seem. These nocturnal marsupials use fierce snarls and high-pitched screams to establish dominance at feeding time. They use a threatening-looking yawn to communicate—mostly about fear or uncertainty—and a strong sneeze acts as a bluffing behavior before a fight.

Threats to Tasmanian devils include attacks by dogs and foxes, being hit by cars, loss of habitat, and disease. The largest predator in the devil's ecosystem is the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, which competes with devils for food.
8%
Percentage of newborn Tasmanian devils that survive.
Angels of the Ecosystem
Tasmanian devils are vital to their ecosystems. Known as the "vacuum cleaners of the forest," these scavengers mostly eat animals that are already dead, which helps keep the habitat clean and disease at bay. But in addition to their uniquely terrible cancer, devils are threatened by human-wildlife conflict. Their forest habitats are being destroyed, they are viewed as pests and killed, and they are preyed upon by dogs and other non-native species.

Together, we can
turn things around.™
turn things around.™
11-30
Weight in pounds of an adult Tasmanian devil.

A Tasmanian devil being released from a transportation tube, into the wild.
Coming Together
San Diego Zoo Global is a proud partner of conservation efforts in Tasmania, collaborating with zoos and research institutions to save these unique marsupials. Your support helps to establish disease-free populations of Tasmanian devils in the wild, and develop a vaccine to eradicate Devil Facial Tumor Disease once and for all.

When European settlers arrived in Tasmania in the late 18th century, they considered Tasmanian devils to be pests, because the devils hunted their sheep and chickens. By the 1830s, bounties had been placed on the devil and the species neared extinction around the turn of the century. Fortunately, the Tasmanian devil gained legal protection in 1941, giving the population a chance to gradually bounce back.
10
Miles a night a devil travels looking for food.
While their cartoon counterparts will live on forever, Tasmanian devils need your help today in order to survive. Help us bring them back from the brink of extinction.

What You Can Do, Right Now
Donate $25 today and help us find a cure for Devil Facial Tumor Disease.