QuoteResearchers have euthanased 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 euthanase the six-year-old.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 999309.htm (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/01/2999309.htm)
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The whole Tasmanian Devil story is just too sad.
Not many years ago they were doing OK.
Now the talk is of putting small populations on islands to prevent extinction.
Australia has a shocking record on keeping our mammal species alive.
Early settlers were slow to appreciate what was here and thought cats, foxes and rabbits would make it feel like home.
Now feral camels, goats, dogs, horses and cane toads add to the problem.
That is a sad story.
This article from Wired Science say that actual cancer cells are transferred from animal to animal. Previously it was though to be a virus that was transferred.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/ ... ry-solved/ (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/tasmanian-devil-cancer-mystery-solved/)
What a horrible cancer. It invades the nerves of the face and neck of the animal. It must be an extremely painful way to die.
It must be hard for researchers to expose a healthy animal to this cancer.
Quote from: "The Magic Pudding"It must be hard for researchers to expose a healthy animal to this cancer.
I think they made a mistake in doing so. There should have been years of experimenting at the cellular level before the risked any member of an endangered species. From the photograph it looked as though Cedric was treated as a pet because he appeared so calm at being handled.
Quote from: "notself"Quote from: "The Magic Pudding"It must be hard for researchers to expose a healthy animal to this cancer.
I think they made a mistake in doing so. There should have been years of experimenting at the cellular level before the risked any member of an endangered species. From the photograph it looked as though Cedric was treated as a pet because he appeared so calm at being handled.
I think the need is urgent and they're trying everything they can.
I agree. Sometimes everything needs to slow down and think. Since it appeared that Cedric had at least some immunity to this cancer, perhaps it would have been productive to breed him with females that were also free of the disease. There are still some groups that are. I guess this is just Monday morning quarterbacking. I am sure the scientist were devastated by his death.
When I worked with wildlife, I killed some out of ignorance and trying to help. I saved 90% but only clearly remember the ones I lost due to my error.