Immune devil blow, Christine meets Ted

Simon Bevilacqua
THE Tasmanian devil thought to hold the genetic key to its species’ survival appears to have cancer.
The dire development throws doubt on hopes that some devils may have a natural immunity to the disease that threatens the species with extinction. Read more here
Monday
BILLIONAIRE Ted Turner has joined the bid to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction. Mr Turner, who gave $1 billion of his $3 billion fortune to the United Nations, will give $US50,000 ($A75,000) for research into the infectious cancer that has halved the devil population in the past 10 years. Mr Turner was approached by Greens senator Christine Milne at an International Union for the Conservation of Nature conference in Spain. Billionaire backs devil
Turner Funding May Bring More Devil Dollars: Senator Milne

15 December 2008

Greens Senator Christine Milne predicts there will be a growing international effort to save the Tasmanian Devil from the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), following her successful bid to get one of the world’s wealthiest men to fund new research.

American billionaire Ted Turner has donated a US$50,000 research grant from the Turner Endangered Species Fund after a personal approach from Senator Milne, during a meeting of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Barcelona in October 2008.

“It is fantastic news and shows the international goodwill and concern that exists for saving the Tasmanian Devil from extinction,” Senator Milne said.

“I hope this will translate into a cure and also encourage more international philanthropists to take an interest in saving the Tasmanian Devil.”

Senator Milne said that convincing Ted Turner had been possible because he had visited Tasmania and participated five times in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and was also interested in environmental issues.

“We met at the World Conservation Union meeting in Barcelona and over a couple of days I introduced him to the plight of the Tasmanian Devil and asked for him to take an interest and help if he could.”

“He had seen the Tasmanian Devil but hadn’t heard about the disease. So I worked in with the Menzies Centre and sent him a funding proposal from them which convinced him to help.”

Senator Milne said the funding couldn’t have come at a better time with news that a Tasmanian Devil (named Cedric by researchers), thought to be immune to the disease, had now become infected.

‘Cedric’ became famous earlier this year after he survived a clinical trial by UTAS researchers to infect him with DFTD. University of Tasmania researchers now believe he has developed cancer.

“There is clearly a lot of goodwill globally for saving the Tasmania Devil and we need to capitalise on it,” Senator Milne said.

“Hopefully this grant will lead to more high profile donors so we can get the best scientists in the world working together to save our iconic Tassie Devil.”