Discovered in 1996, DFTD causes tumours around the animal’s face. This disease has spread rapidly across most areas of Tasmania, reducing the population by up to 90 per cent in some areas. To date, despite extensive scientific efforts, no cause or cure has been found.

The Tasmanian devil is primarily a nocturnal animal, eating a wide variety of food. Studies conducted on the diet of the devils shows that they are active hunters as well as scavengers, feeding on smaller mammals, insects, birds and carrion. Tasmanian devil numbers strongly affect other species – and the numbers of prey species (such as possums and bandicoots) and competitors (such as quolls and the feral cat) have changed in areas where devil numbers have declined. Initial observations indicate that feral cat numbers are increasing in areas where there are fewer devils. (However, more work needs to be done to substantiate this.)

In response to the crisis, there is an ongoing, coordinated effort to save the Tasmanian devil, with funds being directed into DFTD research and the establishment of insurance populations of the devil interstate, in wildlife parks and on islands.