RIP Cedric the Devil

[Miss Chicken]

This is an sad update of this hopeful story that I post here in Misc a couple of years ago.

Researchers have euthanised a Tasmanian Devil that was thought to be immune from the deadly facial tumour disease.
Cedric was born in captivity to parents from a healthy devil population.
As part of research into a facial tumour disease vaccine, Cedric was injected with dead and live disease cells.
For two years, He showed an immune response and appeared healthy despite having two small tumours removed in 2008.
But last week a chest x-ray showed tumours had grown in his lungs and researchers decided to euthanise the three-year-old.

Rest of story here.

Poor, poor Cedric.

 

[T J]

Pitty.

We really need a universal cure for cancer... it's been long enough.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

That's really unfortunate. How are the devils doing overall? Any signs or hope that the spread is slowing, or won't reach certain pockets of the population?

 

[Kemaiku]

Damn, I remember hearing about him when they first ran the story, that really sucks.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Damn, that's terrible. The last time I read anything about this there was increased optimism that the disease could be cured or prevented. At least the doctor quoted in the article still seemed optimistic despite this, but it definitely sounds like a setback. It sounds like he and the other researchers really got attached to the little guy.

RIP, Cedric.

 

[Miss Chicken]

That's really unfortunate. How are the devils doing overall? Any signs or hope that the spread is slowing, or won't reach certain pockets of the population?

The devil population has dropped by about 60%.

The Tasman Peninsula is still disease free. Access to the Penisula is via Eaglehawk Neck. The Neck is about 400 metres long and, at its narrowest, is only 30 metres wide.

EAGLEHAWK NECK

I think that they need to build a devil proof fence so that the only access through is the roadway.

The disease has not reached the West Coast as yet. The West Coast is separate from the east by mountains. It is estimated that the disease might reach the West Coast within three or four years.

There is evidence that some devils in the North-West (which is a separate region from the West Coast) might be genetically different enough from other devils to at least recognise the cancer as foreign.

In some areas the devil population has dropped by 90% but this shows that some devils in these regions are not contracting the disease.

There are about 300 devils in captivity both in Tasmania and on the Australian mainland. This includes a group of devils that were moved to Maria Island which is 4 kilometers of Tasmania's east coast.

MARIA ISLAND

There are also 4 devils at Copenhagen Zoo - they are the only devils to be found outside of Australia.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

^ Thanks for the info. At least it looks like we might not be facing a complete extinction.