Tasmanian devils feast on stolen meat

upi ^ | March. 23, 2013

[JoeProBono]

HOBART, Australia,- Tasmanian devils at Australian wildlife sanctuaries Friday were fed meat that had been held as evidence of supermarket theft.

Detective Senior Constable Katrina Lane got permission to give the stolen meat to the devils, The (Hobart) Mercury reported. She said the meat, including ham, steak and other pricey cuts, was "wholly enjoyed and wolfed down" by the dog-sized marsupials at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and other refuges.

Lane, an animal lover, went to Bonorong to watch the devils eating.

"The meat, valued at $2,600, was stolen from various supermarkets around Hobart," she said. "It was later seized as evidence and kept in cold storage."

The devil, the largest surviving marsupial carnivore, was once common around Australia. The only surviving wild population is found in Tasmania, the island state south of Victoria, and the devils were classified as endangered in 2009.

[JoeProBono]

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I want one to keep the teenagers outa my yard, and off my grass!

[fidelis]

I remember being disappointed that they didn't really look like this:

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

They seemed so much nicer on Saturday mornings when I was growing up.

[JoeProBono]

[EEGator]

I would not pick one of those up.

[fso301]

Look like a cross between a bear and an opossum.

[stormer]

If you’ve never heard one, here’s a treat: http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=387

[JoeProBono]

[stormer]

Cute! The sad fact is the TD population is threatened by a facial tumor disease that prohibit their ability to eat and they end up starving - in some places as many as 90% of the critters have it.

[JoeProBono]

[Standing Wolf]

Look like a cross between a bear and an opossum.

They look more like representatives of the Democratic [sic] party to my eye, though I've to admit my sight isn't all it was in my youth.

[logic101.net]

Ham is not good for critters!

[X-spurt]

We could use more folks like this in Congress. Looking like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Louie Gohmert.

[JoeProBono]

[Carriage Hill]

I think I’d want to stay on the other side of the wire fence, thankyouverymuch. That’s a mouth full of nasty teeth.

[wiggen]

That’s awful. Genetic disease?

[stormer]

They're not really sure. It is a transmittable cancer of the peripheral nerves. When the animals are infected it alters their DNA. It is apparently 100% fatal, and it is suspected that the cancer genome is mutating so that it may infect other species - it's pretty horrible. The truly sad part is that TDs were almost wiped out by farmers, and only fairly recently had populations begun to rebound - but now, it's pretty grim.

[SgtHooper]

I love the little devils—reminds me of family reunions.

[trisham]

They’re kind of cute.