sixtyminutes blog

Charles Wooley: Devil Worship

25/07/2008 9:13:00 AM, sean.maher Prev Next

When I was a kid I spent my first years in the wild Tasmanian backwoods. In bed at night I would be kept fearfully awake by the snarling, howling, growling of a legendary Tasmanian critter which I only ever heard and never got to see. My fears were not assuaged by my parents reassurances that the sounds that scared me were merely those of the Devil.

It is also an early childhood memory that the Anglican preacher in our little town went missing on his customary Sunday morning stroll before church, was lost somewhere in the thick bush, and was never found again.

I remember a couple of old-timers telling my dad over the back fence that: “the preacher is gone, they’ll never find his body, the devil would have eaten him”. This struck further chill in my little, childish heart.

In later life, I came to know the Devil better, even sometimes to spot him, which is unusual for he is among the most secretive and shy animals that I have ever filmed for this programme.

Lions, elephants and tigers are a pushover compared to any attempt to film the Tasmanian Devil. Until this story, most of the documentary footage you have seen of Tasmanian Devils at night will have actually been filmed in a devil's park with creatures habituated to man.

We set out to film them, not only in parks, but in the wild. Quite a strenuous and frustrating exercise it turned out to be until finally we struck gold.

Regrettably, this is not a particularly hopeful story, the devil facial tumour disease with is ravaging their population is cruel, disfiguring and fatal to every animal it touches. The population has crashed and we are faced with what I think the depressing prospect of the extinction of yet another Australian animal in a country which unfortunately leads the world in species extinction.

If we can’t get it right in a first world democracy, what hope for the third world.

However, there are good people from many disciplines and many walks of life who have dedicated themselves to winning this uphill battle for the devils. In this story, medical scientists, zoologists, farmers and zoo keepers come together to fight the good fight to give the devil his due.

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SLIDESHOW: Devil Worship

User comments

I think that the reason why the Tasmanian devils are so short tempered because maybe they are ticked off about people getting rid of them I mean why is it that if animals don't adjust to our environment we just stand idle by while they just die off. Why can't we adjust to what they're used to, adjust to there needs and I'm not just talking about Tasmanian devils I'm talking about other animals to

Who are th devils? Us or them?

Dear Mr. Woolley, Although greater genetic variation among the western-most populations of Tasmanian devils is encouraging, any optimism should be guarded, following the discovery that the cancer is adapting and changing as it marches westward – with nine strains identified to date. Now, more than ever, the establishment of an ‘insurance population’ on the mainland should be given the highest priority by both the Australian and Tasmanian governments, lest we lose this iconic species through a continuation of the unfolding ‘worst-case’ scenario. The Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) is currently working in partnership with the Tasmanian government to establish a safety population of up to 1,400 devils on the mainland. Martin Phillips Executive Director ARAZPA

I was one of twenty sued by Gunns for ‘corporate vilification’. Perhaps the people should sue them for all that killing of wildlife and cankering the Devil in return for more chips, pulp and profit for a few! Disgraceful doesn’t even begin to describe this criminally insane attitude to making money.

This story left out the most important part, the strong causal link between the widespread use of 1080 poison that indiscriminately kills all those browsing on plantation seedlings AND those who feed on the carcases, like the family dog, eagles, quolls, tiger cats and many Devils. I am appalled that 60 minutes ‘forgot’ to mention that. Are they too silenced by Tasmanian Forestry industry heavyweights who are known to sue those who tell the truth?

After a recent visit to Van Dieman's Land with my family, I came to realise the beauty of the Tasmanian Tiger. They are unique to Tasmania and a real treasure to Australia. We cannot let these wonderful animals go. Everyone has to help. Thankyou 60 minutes for opening the eyes of thousands of viewers to the serious situation our little devils are facing in Tassie.

Well we claim to be the most intellegent animal on this planet, we destroy the natural environment, kill each other, take over other people's land and kill and destroy wildlife for a profit. Do we realyy think that we are going to around like most animals have for millions of years. I think not. Extinction is forever. Global warming, climate change, and even the Devils have to deal with what man has done. Poisoning the environment just to profit for the next few years, cause the way we are going, that is all it will take to destroy everything. When there's a disaster involving humans, millions are spent. Well for God's sake where's all the millions to help the devil. where are all the Pollies the Packers the Murdocks that the raped this land now. it's about time they put something back into this amazing Aussie icon.I am sure Kerry's new daughter would love to see a devil when she grows up, no in a musuem but in the wilds of Tasmania

To make a donation to help the Tassie devil visit tassiedevil.com.au and follow the "you can help" links to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal, which is the fundraising arm of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. Greg Wood's research into Cedric and devil immunity has been supported by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal. All donations to the Appeal are directed in full towards highest priority research and management programs across the globe (and are not solely for UTAS researchers). Research is endorsed by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, with a very strong emphasis on research with direct conservation implications. The Appeal is co-ordinated by the University of Tasmania Foundation. Grants are made on the recommendations of an expert committee. Email university foundation at utas.edu.au for more info.

I'M 11YRS OLD, AND AM NOW INTERESTED IN THE TASMANIAN DEVIL, AS I NOW REALISE THAT IT IS NOT A DEVIL AS IT NAME PROCLAIMS. BUT A LIVING THING, THAT NEEDS OUR HELP.

It's so great to see so much more awareness and a better attitude to the plight of the devil. There has been a huge increase in these types of stories of late. My 9 year old daughter has been working at raising awareness here in Queensland since the beginning of the year after becoming aware of DFTD at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. She has a website www.tassiedevilcancer.com which has raised over $2,000 for the Save the Tassie Devil Project, and a CafePress store with devil merchandise, the proceeds of which go towards the no-injury breeding program www.cafepress.com [forward slash] tazdevildiner. She had a blog too until a recent hacker attack put paid to that but we'll be back soon! It's so important for awareness to continue to be raised so that the researchers and others can get the funds they need to continue their important work. As my daughter says - "It's important to save them because we've already lost so many native animals".

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