Overview of other threats to Tasmanian devils
Published: 25/03/2010
The key threat to the survival of Tasmanian devils in the wild is Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). Managing other threats to the survival of Tasmanian devils is, however, also an important part of the Program's mandate.
DFTD has been confirmed across over 60% of Tasmania and is associated with population declines of up to 95% in some locations. Declines are most severe in areas where the disease was reported earliest, in northeastern and central eastern Tasmania.
The DFTD epidemic is likely to leave us with a patchy mosaic of local extinctions of Tasmanian devils and local persistence of low density populations where the disease is present.
The impact of other threats to Tasmanian devils may become significant when dealing with these persisting populations. 
Other threats may include:
- Low genetic diversity
- Introduced predators: foxes and cats
- Roadkill
- Persecution
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Climate change
So far there are only assumptions about what poses a threat and how critical it may be. The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program is working to establish the facts by expanding our understanding of the extent and impact of possible threats to low density devil populations.
The Program will investigate and monitor threats as well as identify and put in place methods to reduce the effect of those threats. Guidelines are being drawn up to help developers and regulators to minimise the impact of roadkill and development, and for fire reduction burning and clearing for land managers to ensure minimal impact on devils.
Research is being carried out on the impact of introduced predators that compete with Tasmanian devils. Management actions, such as cat control, are being explored, and of course control and eradication of foxes is being conducted under the Fox Eradication Program.
In partnership with the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources the Program has worked to raise awareness of the threat of roadkill, installing signage in roadkill hot spot areas such as the Tasman Peninsula.
The Program has also conducted community, media and education campaigns to raise awareness of the significance of the devil in the landscape. The Tasmanian devil’s ‘Endangered’ listing brings it under a raft of laws protecting against persecution.
“In a real time situation like this, where we are working against the clock to preserve Tasmanian devil populations in the wild, it is vital to prioritise management responses. DFTD is by far our primary concern,” said Program Manager Andrew Sharman.
“At the same time we need to be adaptable so that, if other threats are shown to be significant, we can implement strategies to deal with them.
“Low density populations may be particularly vulnerable to threats that would not be considered critical in high density populations.
“We have already implemented a number of strategies to counteract identified risks to the Tasmanian devil and we will adjust and update these strategies as the data pinpoints specific threats,” concluded Mr Sharman.
