A devil of a problem

Tasmanian Devils are in danger of being wiped out. But organisations around Australia, such as Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary, are working hard to fight for their survival.

Tasmanian Devils are facing the threat of extinction from a mysterious illness called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The disease, a type of contagious cancer, is fatal and is thought to be passed from Devil to Devil by scratching and biting.

The Devils develop tumours (cancers) in and around the mouth as small lumps. These develop into large tumours around their face and neck and sometimes even in other parts of their body. Sadly the animals usually die within six months of the lumps first appearing.

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Australian Wildlife Health Centre

The Australian Wildlife Health Centre (AWHC) at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria is an animal hospital with a difference. Visitors can follow the progress of furry, scaly and feathered patients from rescue to release!

Educating people to understand that we share the planet with lots of other species and have a responsibility for their care is one of the most important goals of the AWHC. For this reason, visitors are able to see at first-hand the veterinary care provided to injured wildlife. The Centre is a purpose-built animal hospital with all activities and procedures on view for visitors. Vets regularly talk to visitors about their work and the animals they are treating. On any given day visitors are likely to see a vet explaining a surgery or watch a post-mortem as it happens with only a pane of glass separating them from the operating table!

The Centre is also involved in Healesville Sanctuary’s work in breeding and conservation, as well as the treatment of orphaned and injured Australian wildlife. Every year more than 1500 native animals in need of special care arrive on the sanctuary’s doorstep. They are brought in by members of public, wildlife and land managers, researchers and wildlife shelters.

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Tiny creature with a big problem

Our climate is constantly changing but many believe that this is happening more quickly now due to human activity sending greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is predicted that increased changes in weather patterns will cause stresses to many ecosystems and threaten ecological processes. Plants and animals are expected to have difficulty adapting to these changes so the need to respond to the challenge is urgent!

To help animals to adapt to climate change, other environmental stresses such as habitat loss and invasive species must be reduced. For example, the removal of weeds and the restoration of habitats are both actions everyone can do. Many people are familiar with the stories of polar bears being affected by the shrinking icecap in the Arctic but there are also many animals in Australia that are struggling to adapt to the warming climate.

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Conservation – Australia to Kenya

Brooke, a zookeeper at WORZ, travelled to Kenya recently to meet with the Melako community in northern Kenya to speak with them and to learn first hand about the issues facing their people. 'The most powerful message I got was that the people are excited that someone out in the "big world" recognises their desire to conserve their wildlife, recognises their passion, enthusiasm and motivation to take control of their environment, and create a better life for their children,' she says

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Connecting with Zimbabwe

The number one goal for all of the Zoos in Victoria is to 'build enduring relationships between people and wildlife for a future in which humans live in balance with the natural world'. One of the special projects set up by the Discovery and Learning team at Werribee Open Range Zoo (WORZ) helps to educate communities and schools in Zimbabwe about local wildlife and sustainability.

The project began when the some of the staff in the education team at WORZ began questioning how they could teach school students visiting their zoo about global issues such as the bushmeat crises or poaching (killing animals for their skin or bones).

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Froggy threat

The number one goal for all of the zoos in Victoria is to 'build enduring relationships between people and wildlife for a future in which humans live in balance with the natural world'. One of the special projects set up by the Discovery and Learning team at Werribee Open Range Zoo (WORZ) helps to educate communities and schools in Zimbabwe about local wildlife and sustainability.

The project began when the some of the staff in the education team at WORZ began questioning how they could teach school students visiting their zoo about global issues such as the bushmeat crises or poaching (killing animals for their skin or bones).

Click to read the rest of the story >>