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Often, an issue demands the use of more than one SCTI Intrigued by the genetic management of
program. Such is the case for conservationists’ work serving zoo populations, the producers of 60 Minutes
as devils’ advocates—working to save Australia’s Tasmanian recently reached out to Dr. Bob Lacy as a leader
devils, that is. An epidemic of devil facial tumor disease in using technology to this end. The news
(DFTD), a contagious cancer, quickly spread throughout show’s Lesley Stahl interviewed Lacy, along
the population and is rapidly destroying the species. with Dr. Mike Adkesson, the Society’s vice
Predictions for protected populations, based on calculations president of clinical medicine, and Tim Snyder,
from Vortex, are dire. the curator of birds. She was surprised and
impressed by how much science—including
Colleagues in Australia are using Outbreak to better the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative—
understand DFTD’s progression. Vortex is helping them goes into caring for each animal and every
assess genetic and environmental factors that could affect species at Brookfield Zoo. The interview had
species viability. A combination of strategies is being not been scheduled as of press time, but keep
pursued: establishing protected populations of healthy an eye on upcoming episodes of the show.
devils in isolated fenced areas, peninsulas, and offshore
islands; working to find a vaccine; and launching a
breeding program to ensure the species’ safety, the latter
of which is being guided by PMx. MetaModel Manager
allows the conservationists to analyze threats, evaluate
solutions, and guide complex conservation actions.

Today, some 600 devils survive in zoos and in
quarantined wild areas, and recovery efforts continue.
Without the intervention of SCTI, the species likely
would be lost. This one case study represents thousands
of applications.

TASMANIAN DEVIL

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