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Tasmanian Devil Could Die Out in 20 Years

Thanks to a terrible epidemic of an infectious facial cancer, the remaining population of endangered Tasmanian devils has been cut in half in just 10 years -- and the species could go extinct in 20 more. The disease, first reported in 1996, is spread through face-to-face contact, a key part of devil interaction; devils are more prone to the infectious cancer because of their extremely low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation known only in carnivorous mammals.

Luckily, Australian zoologist Jeremy Austin is piloting a national project to help save the Tasmanian devil, which will establish a conservation program for the animal and work to suppress the cancer. In case a vaccine isn't available before wild Tasmanian devils die out, scientists have suggested a breeding program using the 500-plus disease-free devils in Australian zoos and wildlife parks. The animals themselves are coping with the disease by breeding earlier than usual, before the disease strikes -- which is usually at the age of two.