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November, 2024
What a year it’s been for us all here at Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal!
We’ve taken time this year to reflect on the fact that it’s been 21 years since we accepted our first donation to save the Tasmanian devil from Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFT1).
We really have come a long way since DFT1 emerged in the 1990s, and its thanks all of our community. Alongside our researchers, we have incredible individual donors, corporate supporter’s as well as amazing volunteers.
While the disease is still ravaging devil populations across the state, thanks to the support of our devil community (you!) we are edging closer to further vaccine trials and working out bait distribution systems.
We are also working with the latest technology to tackle the spread of Devil Facial Tumour Disease 2 (DFT2).
We hope you enjoy reading our stories.
Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal
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Thank you, Ginny
It takes a village to beat Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
If our village had a heart, it would be Ginny Ralph.
For nearly 20 years, Ginny and her husband David looked after our research devils at Richmond, Southern Tasmania.
Every day of the year (with a few breaks here and there), Ginny fed the devils, kept their water clean and made sure they were safe and felt at home. “I tried to make their environment as interesting – and as much like their wild environment as possible”, she says. “They loved aromatic trees, smelly treats and I made sure I kept their food interesting”.
Earlier this year, the Richmond facility closed, and these devils will now be housed at Bonorong.
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Left: Ginny with Stanley, the last devil in her care
Right: Ginny and David enjoying retirement
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Associate Professor Andy Flies, Professor Greg Woods and Dr Ruth Pye worked very closely with Ginny.
Says Andy, "our team would learn something new from Ginny every time we visited. Her exceptional care for the devils minimised the stress to these captive devils, which is critical to high-quality research. On top of this she is an absolute pleasure to chat with and a great ambassador for Tasmanian devils. She is really a fantastic soul”, he said.
Thank you for your selfless and tireless efforts, Ginny. We wish you all the very best for your retirement.
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Cutting edge technology in the field
Thanks to the support of our amazing Tasmanian devil community, Dr. Rodrigo Hamede and Professor Barry Brook School from School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania) are using powerful new AI technology to help protect devils from Devil Facial Tumour 2 (DFT2).
This disease, discovered in 2014, is spreading and now reaching new areas beyond southeastern Tasmania.
The project uses AI and remote cameras to quickly scan thousands of images of devils in the wild. The AI can instantly tell if a devil is healthy or showing signs of DFT2, which helps scientists monitor the disease’s spread much faster than before.
This faster detection offers the opportunity to track and manage the disease before it spreads further, offering hope not only for Tasmanian devils but also for managing wildlife diseases worldwide,
Smile, little devil - you're on camera! Image supplied by Tasmanian Land Conservancy
"Community support is vital. By working together, we can make a real difference in managing wild devil populations affected by the disease," says Rodrigo.
“We are calling for landowners from the Huon Valley and Derwent Valley to sign up for our project so we can deploy cameras on their properties.”
“The more people sign up for our project, the better we can monitor DFT2 spread and effects. Their participation provides valuable data, raises awareness, and fosters a collective effort to combat DFT2."
Can you help? Sign up here.
This project would not be possible without the incredible support of our Tasmanian devil community.
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Travelling right with The Travel Corporation (TTC)
The TreadRight Foundation was set up 16 years ago between TTC’s group of travel brands to have a positive impact on the places, people, and wildlife they visit.
They do this by investing in sustainable tourism projects across the globe (over 60 to date) with the goal of protecting the planet, wildlife and marine life, and have a positive impact on supporting the people and communities they visit.
AAT Kings is a proud founding member, and since 2016 they have supported Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal. In total, they have donated $40,000, playing a crucial role in advancing research and conservation efforts.
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The team from TreadRight Foundation
Left: Volunteering at a community-shared green space in Brixton, London. From the left they are: Parisa Pouramn - Marketing & Communications Manager, Nadine Pinto Global Sustainability Manager and Diana Davila - Sustainability Analyst
Right: Fruzsina Ford from the Sydney office volunteering at a tree-planting in Toronto in Canada
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Their support not only contribute to the survival of the Tasmanian devil but also raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation.
Their latest sponsorship agreement with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal will support our groundbreaking vaccine research.
TTC as an organisation is committed to addressing the impact of its trips and operations. They do this through robust sustainability goals, including the goal to reach net zero by 2050. The international TTC team has a strong commitment to making the world they live in a better place.
As you can see, they all volunteer in the communities they live in.
We thank them for their commitment and continued support. You can read more about TreadRight here.
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A visit from Emma
After braving the Tasmanian elements on the Overland Track, Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal donor Emma Tweedie and her sidekick Sophia Morgan had the opportunity to meet Tasmanian devils face to face at Hobart’s Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.
“I heard about Devil Facial Tumour Disease in the media”, she said “I couldn’t believe the trouble Tasmanian devils were in. I had to do something”
Donating what she could at the time, she was also inspired to visit Tasmania and meet a devil. Greg Irons - Bonorong’s owner and keen devil enthusiast himself - was kind enough to show Emma and Sophia around.
L-R: Sophia Morgan, Emma Tweedie, Greg Irons & Assoc.Professor Andy Flies
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Emma and Sophia also had the opportunity to check out the new devil dens. These will be home to 12 healthy devils that will assist Associate Professor Flies with the critical work in testing the vaccine for DFT1. Our team of volunteers have planted native trees and built play equipment out of recycled timber.
They’re almost ready for their devil occupants – although we might need to give the dens a mow first!
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Native Clothing Co: Purchase with purpose
Fraser and Eloise care passionately the Australian native animals – especially those under threat.
So much so that when they set up their apparel company Native Clothing Co., they were determined to raise awareness and funds to directly support conservation efforts. “We want to provide an affordable alternative to the major clothing brands”, says Fraser. “We also wanted to take the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for our Australian threatened species”.
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L-R: Fraser and Eloise, beanie design, t-shirt design and peak cap
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They’ve collaborated with local artists to create unique designs for use on their apparel and have just put their devil collection up for sale.
Would you like to be among the first to buy these unique, Australian designed and printed pieces? Check out their website here. You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook.
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Excellent news for vaccine trials - thanks to you!
Associate Professor Andy Flies and his devil vaccine research team at Menzies Institute for Medical Research have had an amazing year.
Thanks to the support our community (YOU!), Andy and his team have made significant headway in the development of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFT1) vaccine that will be delivered to Tasmanian devils via a bait distribution system.
There is no doubt that without your donations and your support of their work, the project would not have made significant progress.
This progress has been recognised by the Australian Research Council (ARC), with the awarding of three competitive grants to the team.
First, an ARC Discovery Project grant will allow the team to make new immunology tools to understand the immune response to DFT1 and vaccination. A key advance is that these tools will also work for other marsupial species affected by wildlife disease.
Second, an ARC Future Fellowship will provide salary and research funds to Dr Flies for 4 years. During this time his team will develop rapid diagnostic tests for several wildlife diseases and make new marsupial vaccine platforms.
Finally, and ARC Linkage Project grant will allow the team to trial the DFT1 vaccines in the field (pending permits).
These new projects give us great momentum for the coming years. However, we would not be in this fortunate position if it were not for the steady community support from individual and business donors.
Did you see Associate Professor Andy Flies cover story in Menzies newsletter Bulletin? You can check it out here.
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Associate Professor Andy Flies on the cover of The Bulletin. Image courtesy of Menzies
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Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal - donations in action
Thanks to you, our dedicated researchers are making remarkable strides toward understanding, controlling, and one day curing DFT1 and DFT2 in Tasmanian devils. Donations from our community gift directly supports the annual Tasmanian Devil Research Grants, empowering devil-saving research.
When you donate, your gift joins other contributions to support annual Tasmanian Devil Research Grants.
Every grant application is carefully evaluated by the Tasmanian Devil Research Advisory Committee (TDRAC) to ensure the best use of your contribution.
Together, we’re advancing critical research.
Grant applications are now open, and will close Monday 18 November at 5:00pm
If you, or someone you know, is interested in finding out more, you can do so here.
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