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| News :. Experts to tackle Tassie devil killer
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Experts are meeting tomorrow to discuss how to tackle a disease which is killing off large numbers of Australia's largest marsupial predator, the Tasmanian devil, says Tasmania's state government.
"The workshop will provide us with the opportunity to highlight what we have learned so far about the disease and combine that with the latest research and expertise from around Australia," State Environment Minister Bryan Green says.
The small aggressive predator has been attacked by a disease which causes cancerous facial tumours. Scientists believe it is a retrovirus and is probably spread through direct tooth to flesh contact.
It has killed about 90 percent of Tasmanian devils in an area on the east coast, and cases have been reported in other areas. Around 40 researchers and animal experts will attend the workshop on Tuesday in Launceston.
The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest remaining marsupial carnivore after the extinction of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, mainly due to hunting. Like the thylacine it was once found all over Australia, but now only survives in Tasmania. |
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