Tasmanian Devil Gets a Makeover in Face of Extinction

Monday, 28 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

When ‘devil’ is your last name, I imagine it’s hard to get folks to like you. That’s the problem plaguing the Tasmanian devil says LA Times. That and a rare infectious cancer threatening to wipe out the entire species have prompted Australian scientists to start a PR campaign to make the rodent, described as “a skunk, with the jaws of an alligator and the charm of a weasel,” more loveable. The task, however, is no simple one: “From a marketing standpoint, the Tasmanian devil is no koala.”

The Times says the disease inflicting the devils is straight out of a sci-fi flick: “Tumors sprout around the devil’s mouth, quickly morphing into bulbous red pustules that eventually take over the animal’s entire face, leaving it unable to eat or drink.” Called “devil facial tumor disease,” it is one of three communicable cancers ever to be documented.

Here’s a look at what scientists are dealing with, courtesy of National Geographic: