The Tasmanian devil thriving in the wild, occupying its natural niche in the Tasmanian landscape, is the vision of the ‘Save the Tasmanian Devil’ Program. The recovery plan of the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, together with the University of Tasmania, features a range of approaches to provide the species with the best chance of survival. But the top priority is to establish an effective insurance population, comprised of both intensively and extensively managed components. Intensively managed captive-breeding populations are already established (and breeding) on the mainland. Now we need to decide how many Tasmanian devils are needed in an insurance population to maintain genetic diversity, and how many devils we need to be living wild, in fenced enclosures or on islands. | Among our other higher priorities are suppression of the disease in the wild, the delivery of an effective vaccine against the tumour, an anti-cancer treatment for infected Tasmanian devils and a selectively bred population with increased hereditary resistance. To achieve these priorities, the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water will continue to focus on management activity and research. But the program also welcomes and supports partners who can help to save the species, whether they be in Tasmania, elsewhere in Australia, or overseas. Steven Smith — Manager, Save the Tasmanian Devil Program |