It’s well known that Tasmanian Devils are a species assailed by threats to their survival. Photo thanks to ABC Early white settlers to Tasmania did a pretty thorough job of decimating the island’s Devil population, and their numbers have continued to sustain major blows from car collisions, selective culling (particularly intense during the 1990’s) and the horrific Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).The last of these threats is perhaps the most concerning, given the disease’s highly contagious nature and unavoidable mortality rate. One study I read said that the worst affected regional Devil populations faced an infection rate of up to 90%, and that only a scattering of populations in southern and western Tasmania remain unaffected. Photo by Tony Britt-Lewis This is where the domestication proposal fits in. The relocation of a number of healthy Devils to mainland Australia would create a quarantined sub-population, helping to ensure the species’ survival in the event that DFTD infection rates were to suddenly spike back in Tasmania.Then, the decision to entrust them into homes around the country would help protect them from cars, and from foxes and feral cats (while young, Devils are particularly vulnerable).The move would also address the well-debated (and pretty reasonable) question of why we encourage the keeping of introduced animals (at the expense of our environment – looking at you, cats) instead of considering native alternatives. Senator David Leyonhjelm is a big proponent on this point.