Tag Archives: Marsupial

The Tasmanian Devil in Trouble

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Let’s stretch our ‘Australian Week’ by just one more day…

We’ve all heard of the Tasmanian Devil, but surprisingly few people know what they actually look like (I blame a certain popular cartoon character). Even fewer people know that since 2000, the wild Tasmanian Devil population has been affected by a mysterious cancer which is threatening to wipe them out entirely in the years to come.

We love the work done by the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, a place I had the privilege to visit in 2010.

Tasmanian Devil at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, by Anna Tinker

Does the Tasmanian Devil deserve its fearsome reputation? We think it does! Have a look at these little devils fighting over their lunch…

You can’t not be drawn to Tasmanian Devil! They’re unique and special and we want more than anything to keep them around.

Here are some quick facts on the disease currently spreading through the the wild Tasmanian Devil population (taken from the small print on the sign pictured below), directly from the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.

- The Tasmanian Devil is now an endangered species

- More than half of all wild devils have perished

- Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease is a unique contagious cancer

- It affects only Tasmanian Devils and is always fatal

-  The cancer is transferred directly by biting during feeding and mating

- Preventing Direct contact is the best way to stop the disease from spreading

- The disease was first noticed in 2000 and has spread across most of Tasmania

- There is no barrier to stop it reaching the west coast

- Its origin is not known

Beautiful and wild Tasmanian Devil habitat, by Anna Tinker

Unfortunately, this mysterious cancer is just one of the many threats faced by Tasmanian Devils. According to IUCN, more than 2,200 are killed each year on Tasmania’s roads.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
population trend: decreasing

A Wild ‘Wallaby Safari’… on the Isle of Man?

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By Anna Tinker

I wanted to spend the first day of 2012 doing something a little different. So I dressed my parents in khakis, handed them binoculars and piled them into the car for a ‘Wallaby Safari’.  This is not normal.

We live in the middle of the Irish Sea on the Isle of Man. Few people (even those who live here) know about the 100 or so Red-Necked Wallabies we’ve got living wild in the north of our island- all descendents of one legendary pair who escaped from a wildlife park in the early 1970’s.

Not a 'Manx' Red-Necked Wallaby, but rather one I photographed in the Dandenong Ranges, Australia. By Anna Tinker

I’m happy to report that our ‘safari’ was successful. Just as darkness descended and the freezing wind had forced us back to our car, I noticed two large, black figures in the field. Binoculars confirmed them to be a pair of our special Wallabies. Being perhaps the most thrilling of the Island’s wildlife, the sighting certainly made for an exciting start to 2012.

But it got me thinking.

Our wild Wallaby population is steadily growing and their range is thought to be expanding. Our Wallabies are said to inhabit the same ecological niche as hares and they don’t seem to be outcompeting our local hare population for the vegetation they both like to eat. On the surface, it seems they’ve slotted in nicely up in the Curraghs where they’ve taken up home. There’s been little research into the ecological impact of these wallabies on the Isle of Man but for now their presence hasn’t generated much concern.

Wallaby in Sherbrooke Forest, Victoria. By Anna Tinker

I’m not sure how to feel about our Wallabies. I know about the massive and devastating consequences that introduced species can bring to an environment. I recently wrote about the impact of the introduced European Fox on Tasmania’s fragile Quoll population. This is one of countless examples.

Entire ecosystems can be and are thrown fatally out of balance by introduced species. Species are often driven to extinction, and rarely does an ‘alien’ introduction fail to leave a threatening impact somewhere in its new environment.

But yet I feel a special affection to ‘my’ wallabies. As long (and only as long) as they aren’t having a negative impact on our indigenous wildlife, the wallabies add a sense of exoticism and excitement to our little island. In this moment in time, I like that I live somewhere where I can go on the occasional ‘wallaby safari’.  Is this selfish? Is it naive?   There is much to learn and explore here, and many questions to be asked.  The treatment of Introduced species will always provoke strong debate, both ecological and emotional.

So I’d like to know…

What are your thoughts about introduced species? Can they ever be ‘okay’? Have you got any stories, examples or opinions you’d like to share?

Click here for a clip from BBC’s ‘Springwatch’ Programme: ‘In Search of the Isle of Man’s Wallabies’

The Red-Necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)
is native to South Eastern Australia and Tasmania.
It’s on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “least concern“
and its population trend is stable.

Meet the Enchanting Eastern Quoll

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Eastern Quolls at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, Tasmania, by Anna Tinker

Here’s one of those ‘lesser known’ animals. The sort that you may go your whole life without knowing about.

Which is a pity because the enchanting Eastern Quoll is one of Australia’s smallest and most endearing marsupials. They have lovely little toes, pink button noses and are exceptionally dotty. Now here’s the bit we don’t like: over the last 40 years, it’s become extinct on the Australian mainland and is now found only on the island of Tasmania, where I photographed these little guys.

Traditionally, they’ve been threatened by habitat loss and predators such as feral cats- a huge problem in Australia. It’s thought that they survived in Tasmania because of its lack of dingoes and foxes. But since 2000 and despite conservation efforts, the European Red Fox has been present in Tasmania and poses a huge threat to the state’s unique and precious wildlife, especially its Quolls.

What Can I do?

Do a little research and learn about the often devastating impact that non-indigenous species can have on an environment. Have a look at this website: Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. And if you’re lucky enough to visit the unforgettable island of Tasmania, go and drop in on these friendly people and see what fabulous work they’re doing at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.

Not in love yet? Watch this pair of munching marsupials crunch their lunch!

The Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is extinct in mainland Australia but has a reasonably stable population in Tasmania where it is now listed on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “near threatened“